Spooky Pumpkin Stuffed Peppers
I love making these cute, spooky stuffed peppers for Halloween parties or a fun family dinner. These peppers are easy to decorate and even easier to eat! 🎃
Equipment
- Large baking sheet or dish
- Sharp knife (for carving the peppers)
- Cutting board
- Mixing bowl
- Large spoon or scoop
- Oven mitts: Safety first!
- Aluminum foil (optional, for covering while baking)
- Small knife or paring knife (for detailed pumpkin faces)
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Skillet or pan (to cook the filling)
- Having the right tools makes it simple and safe to prepare and serve these spooky treats!
Ingredients
Here’s what I use for my Spooky Pumpkin Stuffed Peppers:
- 4 orange bell peppers for the pumpkin look
- 1 cup cooked rice white or brown
- 1 lb ground beef or turkey
- 1 small onion diced
- 1 cup shredded cheese cheddar is my favorite
- 1 can diced tomatoes drained
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Olive oil
- Optional: black olive slices parsley, or extra cheese for topping
It’s easy to swap the filling to your favorite meats or make it vegetarian.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Cut the tops off the peppers and remove seeds.
- Carve small pumpkin faces into the side of each pepper with a sharp knife. Be careful!
- In a skillet, heat olive oil, then cook the onion and garlic until soft.
- Add the ground meat and cook until browned.
- Stir in cooked rice, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
- Fill each pepper with the meat and rice mixture.
- Top each pepper with shredded cheese.
- Place peppers in a baking dish.
- Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
- Remove the foil and bake for 10 more minutes to melt the cheese.
Let cool a bit, then decorate with olive slices or parsley if you want.
Notes
I find orange bell peppers work best for that classic pumpkin look, but yellow peppers are good too.
If you want a vegetarian option, use black beans, corn, or chopped mushrooms instead of meat.
Be gentle when carving faces! Small, controlled cuts help create fun designs without tearing the pepper.
You can prepare the filling ahead of time and refrigerate until you are ready to stuff and bake.
These peppers reheat well and make a fun lunch box surprise! 👻