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Rice and Beans Stuffed Peppers (Jack O'Lanterns)

Rice and Beans Stuffed Peppers in a cute Halloween Jack O'Lantern style that is quick and simple to make, full in flavor and kids and grownups will love this fun presentation! It adds a special Halloween flare to your dinner, but it really is so simple to put together.

 

Rice and Beans Jack O'Lantern Peppers

 

Filled with delicious Mexican flavors of rice and beans, cumin, paprika, corn and cheese, this is hard not to enjoy. You can fill it with whatever you please too, I also love to put a Korean spin on it with this bulgogi fried rice, or just super simple with chipotle turmeric fried rice.

 

Rice and Beans Jack O'Lantern Peppers

 

Halloween is such a fun Holiday. It's a Holiday that is made for kids and grownups alike. There is the cute and kid friendly, and there is the dark and eerie more elegant grownup friendly. I have two grownup friendly cocktails, the Black Swan Cranberry Sangria and the Poison Blackberry Martini. Both easy and delicious and very dark and elegant.

 

This is the more kid friendly cute version. I have to say, as someone that people tend to think of as a grownup - I am super excited about these easy Halloween Jack O'Lantern Rice and Beans Stuffed Peppers. And the best part is that these can be enjoyed all year long, you just omit the 'pumpkin carving'.

 

Rice and Beans Jack O'Lantern Peppers

 

How to Make these Stuffed Peppers Vegetarian

 

So this recipe includes ground beef. However, it is completely doable to make these vegetarian stuffed peppers just by omitting the ground beef. I would add more beans to compensate. I would add about 3 cups of canned black beans. At the same time in the recipe as the original rice and beans stuffed peppers with ground beef.

 

Beef or chicken broth can easily be substituted with vegetable stock. To make them vegan, you need to find a vegan blend of cheese as well.

 

What to Serve with Stuffed Peppers

 

What I like to serve with rice and beans stuffed peppers is guacamole. My absolute favorite guacamole that is fresh and a little spicy. Other condiments such as salsa, whether it being store bought or pico de gallo, sour cream and even more beans in this cowboy caviar are all super delicious with stuffed peppers!

 

I also like to add a little crunch. It's like the French's croutons or the Korean's rice cakes. Crunch adds texture and interest to the dish. The most classic crunch to add is naturally the tortilla chips or nachos as we tend to call them in Norway (don't judge).

 

Rice and Beans Jack O'Lantern Peppers

 

Leftover Stuffed Pepper Filling

 

Because a baked pell pepper can only hold so much filling, we tend to have leftovers. The amount of pepper to filling is kind of disproportionate by nature, and I'm therefore often serving a little extra filling on the side or not eating the entire bell pepper.

 

If you have enough leftovers, I would make burritos out of the rest (or more stuffed peppers!). Using delicious corn or flour tortillas, more guacamole and maybe some fresh veggies too. Delicious! The filling can keep covered in the fridge for about 3 days in the fridge. Very important to not let it sit out in room temperature because of the rice.

 

Halloween Jack O'Lantern Rice and Beans  Stuffed Peppers Recipe

 

I've seen a lot of Jack O'Lantern Peppers out there, so the idea isn't mine, but not sure where to give credit to either. The filling is my own. Begin with pre-heating your oven to 180C (350F). Brown the ground beef in a large saucepan over medium high heat in some canola oil. Set aside.

 

Reduce to medium heat. Sauté the onion and garlic until translucent - about 10 minutes. Add the rice and stir frequently until rice is golden and opaque. Add the ground beef, season with salt and pepper, smoked paprika, cayenne and cumin.

 

Rice and Beans Jack O'Lantern Peppers

 

Pour in the broth or water. Stir gently. Cover and bring to a boil. Then reduce to low and simmer until all the liquid is absorbed. Approximately 17 minutes, depending a little on the rice.

 

Meanwhile, draw Jack O'Lanterns on the bell peppers. Cut with a sharp knife outside of the markings. Cut the top of the bell peppers off, but save it for presentation. Hollow and de-seed the peppers and cut a little on the bottom to make them more steady (if needed).

 

Fluff with a fork and add in the beans, corn, salsa and half of the cheese. Divide the mixture into eight bell peppers. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the bell peppers are soft and the cheese is melted.

 

Rice and Beans Jack O'Lantern Peppers

 

Add a few broken pieces of nachos on top to make it look like it's been cut with broken glass! Serve the Halloween Jack O'Lantern Rice and Beans Stuffed Peppers with optional toppings such as pico de gallo, sour cream and guacamole.

 

Happy Halloween!

 

Perfect in time for Halloween:

 

 

If you have any feedback, I'd love to hear from you. Either in the comment section below or tag me @thegingerwithspice on Instagram. And don't forget to Pin it for later!

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This recipe was originally published on October 23 2018, but updated on September 17 2019 for better content.

 

📖 Recipe

Halloween Jack O'Lantern stuffed peppers, straight angle. White plate.

Rice and Beans Halloween Jack O'Lantern Peppers

Yield: 8 people
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

Easy Halloween Jack O'Lantern Rice and Beans Stuffed Peppers that is quick and simple to make, full in flavor and kids and grownups will love this fun presentation!

Ingredients

Jack O'Lantern Peppers

  • 8 orange bell peppers
  • 7 oz ground beef, 200g
  • 1 onion, small-ish, finely chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 6 oz uncooked rice, 175g
  • 1 ⅓ cups beef or chicken broth, 300ml.
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika, or just paprika
  • ½-1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ½-1 teaspoon salt, depending on water or broth
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 3 oz canned black beans, drained, about half a can. 85g
  • ½ cup corn, 90g
  • 1 ¼ cups shredded cheese, e.g. Mexican blend, Jarlsberg, cheddar. 150g
  • ½ cup salsa, your favorite kind. 115g

Optional Toppings

  • crushed tortilla chips, as decorative 'glass shards' and crunch
  • guacamole, * recipe below
  • more salsa
  • sour cream
  • fresh salad
  • cilantro, chopped

Instructions

  1. The beef: Begin with pre-heating your oven to 180C (350F). Quickly brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium high heat. Set beef aside but continue with the pan.
  2. The onion and rice: Reduce heat to medium. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until translucent - about 7-10 minutes. Add the rice and stir frequently until rice is golden and opaque. Add the ground beef, season with salt and pepper, smoked paprika, cayenne and cumin.
  3. Simmer: Pour in the broth or water. Stir gently. Cover and bring to a boil. Then reduce to low and simmer until all the liquid is absorbed. Approximately 17 minutes, depending a little on the rice.
  4. Draw Jack O'Lanterns: Meanwhile, draw Jack O'Lanterns on the bell peppers. Cut with a sharp knife outside of the markings. Cut the top of the bell peppers off, but save it for presentation. Hollow and de-seed the peppers and cut a little on the bottom to make them more steady (if needed).
  5. Bake the peppers: Fluff with a fork and add in the beans, corn, salsa and half of the cheese. Divide the mixture into four bell peppers. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the bell peppers are soft and the cheese is melted.
  6. Serve: Add a few broken pieces of nachos on top to make it look like it's been cut with broken glass! Serve the Rice and Beans Halloween Jack O'Lantern Peppers with a fresh salad and optional toppings, such as guacamole, sour cream and more salsa.

Notes

* Homemade Guacamole Recipe

Leftover Filling: Most likely you will have leftover filling. You can bake however many bell peppers you want, and just keep the leftover filling covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Very important to not let it sit out in room temperature because of the rice. Bake new peppers the next day or you can make burritos with the filling. Serve with flour tortillas, guacamole, salsa and fresh veggies if you like.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1 stuffed pepper
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 294Total Fat: 8.5gSaturated Fat: 4.5gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 358mgCarbohydrates: 37.2gFiber: 4.4gSugar: 7.7gProtein: 18.5g

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or tag @thegingerwithspice on Instagram, I'd love to see!

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Adriana Lopez Martin

Tuesday 30th of October 2018

How cute and creative are these Jack-O-Lanterns using peppers, I bet these will be a hit in my home. many good ingredients and who doesn't love the tasty crunch of the peppers and the chips and guacamole. Now I need to organize a Halloween get together =)

Stine Mari | Ginger with Spice

Tuesday 30th of October 2018

Thank you so much! Hope you get to organize a Halloween get together, that sounds like so much fun.

Jessica

Monday 29th of October 2018

These are awesome! Perfect for a Halloween taco night! I’m definitely pinning for later! By the way all of your photos are so beautiful! It makes me want to cook everythubg right up ?

Stine Mari | Ginger with Spice

Tuesday 30th of October 2018

Thank you so much, dear Jessica! That is so kind! I know I'm a visual eater, so I try to take the best photos that I can and strive to be better. :)

Chef Mireille

Sunday 28th of October 2018

I love these and the filling sounds so flavorful and plus with the attractive design even picky kids couldn't resist trying these!

Stine Mari | Ginger with Spice

Monday 29th of October 2018

Making food fun to eat maybe makes them forget what they are eating!

Renu

Saturday 27th of October 2018

Wow this is a very cute way of serving for Halloween. Would love to try for my kids. Awesome idea and the fact that they can have something healthy.

Stine Mari | Ginger with Spice

Monday 29th of October 2018

Exactly! I tried it on adults and they were so excited about the presentation, I have no doubt that kids will like it just as much!

Jacqueline Debono

Friday 26th of October 2018

This is such a great idea. I actually haven't seen jack o'lantern peppers before. Love them. And of course such a fab meal for kiddies at Halloween!

Stine Mari | Ginger with Spice

Monday 29th of October 2018

I can confess that I spend a little too much time on Pinterest, and there are so many beautiful Halloween inspired dishes. I saw Jack O'Lantern Peppers sometime last year and knew I had to make my own version! Thank you!

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