Halloween Jack O'Lantern Stuffed Peppers
Sink your teeth into these spooktacular Halloween Jack O’ Lantern Stuffed Peppers! Filled with mince, rice and crunchy veg all wrapped in a yummy tomato sauce. The kids will love this Halloween treat!
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 493kcal
Ingredients
- 4 medium bell peppers red, orange and yellow
- 250 g ( 8.8 oz) cooked microwave packet rice or 85g ( 3 oz) uncooked rice.
- 400 g ( 14 oz) canned/ tinned tomatoes
- 500 g ( 1lb) ground beef mince
- 1 medium onion finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced or finely diced
- 65 g ( 2.2 oz) canned sweetcorn
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200˚C / 180˚Fan / 390˚F
- Cut the tops off the bell peppers (don't discard them!) and remove the seeds and membranes.
- Using a small paring knife, carve pumpkin faces into the side of each pepper. Be as creative as you like!
- Whilst the peppers are cooking, prepare the filling. Fry the mince in a large saucepan on a medium heat for 5 minutes.
- Finely dice the onion and garlic, then add these to the pan with the mince. (You may need to drain some of the fat from the pan, depending on the fat ratio of your mince). Cook for a further 3 minutes stirring regularly.
- Add the chopped canned tomatoes, sweetcorn, oregano, basil and salt & pepper to the pan. Give it a good stir, lower the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
- Cook the rice in the microwave, then add to the meat mixture, stirring through until fully combined.
- Take the peppers out of the oven and use a spoon to fill the hollowed-out peppers with the mince/rice mixture until they are full, firmly pressing down with the spoon to compact the filling.
- Place the tops back on the peppers and serve immediately,
Notes
Storage & Reheating:
- If using microwave rice: it can’t be reheated, so only stir through the amount you’re eating straight away. Keep any leftover mince mixture on its own in the fridge (airtight container) for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or gently on the hob until piping hot. You can also freeze the mince mixture by itself for up to 3 months – just defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat as above.
- If using normal rice: cool the rice and mince mixture as quickly as you can, then pop it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the hob until piping hot. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months, though the rice texture may change a bit and turn mushy once defrosted.
Can I Make Stuffed Peppers Ahead Of Time?
You sure can! Cook and fill the peppers with the rice and mince mixture (only if using normal rice, as microwave rice cannot be reheated twice!) and leave them to chill in the fridge. When you are ready to cook, place the stuffed peppers in a snug baking dish and cook in a preheated oven at 180˚C / 160˚Fan / 355˚F for 15-20 minutes until piping hot throughout. Please note the recipe hasn't been tested in US measurements.Nutrition
Calories: 493kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 89mg | Sodium: 370mg | Potassium: 1002mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 3996IU | Vitamin C: 165mg | Calcium: 96mg | Iron: 5mg
