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It’s nearly Halloween and while the holiday is usually packed with sweet treats, why not give these Halloween Stuffed Peppers a go instead? These spooky, Jack O’Lantern peppers are stuffed with a tasty Mexican beef, rice and cheese filling.
Finding a gluten free Halloween dinner idea can be a challenge but how cute are these spooky stuffed peppers?
These Jack O’Lantern peppers are filled with a delicious filling of Mexican-style beef mince, rice, melted cheese and black beans.
You can use any colour pepper of choice – red, yellow and orange peppers make great Jack O’Lanterns. And I like to call the green ones Frankenpeppers!
Either way, they’re a really fun way to make a family meal into a spooky treat, with an extra helping of veg too.
The filling is really flavoursome but you can make it spicier if you like – it’s really simple to adapt.
I really loved this stuffed peppers recipe and even when it’s not Halloween I can be found making it – minus the carved faces!
Jack O’Lantern Peppers Ingredients
There’s a full printable recipe card below, but for these stuffed Halloween peppers you’ll need the following ingredients:
Peppers – When choosing your peppers, colours is up to you. But make sure you get peppers that will stand up without falling over. I test them out in the supermarket to make sure!
Lean Beef Mince – I use lean ground beef but you can use a higher fat percentage if you prefer. Lamb mince or a vegan mince alternative would also work.
Onion – You can use a brown or red onion, or even a spring onion if you prefer. This recipe is super flexible.
Long Grain Rice – I always buy packs of long grain rice because I am lazy and let’s face it, who wants to always cook rice? Sometimes it’s nice to just have the convenience!
Black Beans – You can use kidney beans – or just omit these completely if you like. I just find they add a really nice texture to these stuffed peppers.
Beef Stock Pot – I always use the Knorr stock pots but there are lots of gluten free alternatives available. Just make sure you always double check yours is gluten free.
Tinned Tomatoes – These help to stop the filling of these stuffed peppers being too dry, and also sneak in some extra veg. I always buy chopped tomatoes but you could buy whole plum tomatoes and chop them yourself. You’ll also need tomato puree.
Spices – For the basis of these stuffed peppers I use chilli powder, smoked paprika, cumin, oregano and a little salt and pepper to season.
Mozzarella – I love adding mozzarella to these stuffed Halloween peppers as it goes all stringy and delicious. Cheddar or any mild cheese would work, or you can omit the cheese entirely for a dairy free version.
Can these Halloween stuffed peppers be vegan?
If you want to make these stuffed Halloween peppers vegan it’s easy!
Simply switch the beef mince for a vegan alternative, use a vegetable stock pot and either omit the cheese or use a vegan one.
To make the recipe dairy free, simple remove the cheese or use a vegan cheese.
My Stuffed Pepper Jack’O Lanterns recipe
Here it is – the perfect gluten free Halloween dinner recipe, my pepper Jack O’Lanterns.
If you make this recipe and love it, please do let me know by tagging me on my Instagram or using #theglutenfreeblogger. I love seeing your bakes!
And if you loved it, please do leave a review to let others know you loved it too! It would mean the world to me.
Halloween Stuffed Peppers
This easy recipe makes enough for 8 stuffed Halloween peppers - I find two peppers per person is the perfect portion for an adult, but you can easily increase or reduce the filling quantities. Or freeze excess for another time!
Ingredients
- 8 peppers
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 250g lean beef mince
- 1 small onion (finely chopped)
- 2 tsp chopped garlic
- 250g pack of long grain rice (cooked)
- 400g tin black beans
- 1 tsp mild chilli powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 gluten free beef stock pot (I used Knorr)
- 200g tinned chopped tomatoes
- 125g ball of mozzarella (cut into chunks)
To serve:
- Guacamole
- Black olives (for Frankenpeppers)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200C / Fan 180C / Gas Mark 6. Cut the tops off the peppers and remove the seeds. Using a sharp paring knife, carve faces into the fronts of the peppers, saving any excess bits to go into the filling.
- Stand the peppers up on the baking tray and lay the cut tops next to them (to use as hats!). Bake for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, make the filling.
- Heat a little olive oil in a pan on a medium-high heat. Add the beef mince and fry, stirring, for 4-5 minutes until browned. Finely chop any leftover pepper offcuts and add to the pan along with the onion and garlic. Fry for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add the rice and black beans to the pan, along with the spices, tomato puree and stock pot. Stir together then add the tinned tomatoes and stir again. Continue heating for another 3-4 minutes.
- Once the peppers are done, remove them from the oven. Stir the chunks of mozzarella into the filling and mix to distribute them evenly.
- Spoon the filling evenly between the peppers, using the spoon to gently press it down into the pepper. Once full, place back in the oven for another 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and serve with the guacamole. If you like, you can use the guacamole to make 'hair' or place the pepper tops back onto the peppers as 'hats' before serving.
- For Frankenpeppers: Press two cocktail sticks into either side of the pepper. Cut a black olive in half and thread the olives onto the sticks, to create the neck 'bolts'.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 545Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 80mgSodium: 437mgCarbohydrates: 64gFiber: 13gSugar: 9gProtein: 40g
Need some more Halloween recipe inspiration?
Still need some spooky Halloween recipe inspiration? If you like these Halloween Stuffed Peppers, why not try my…
If you do make this recipe please let me know! I’d love to see your photos using #theglutenfreeblogger, share them in my Facebook group or tag me on Instagram.
And if you have any recipe suggestions, please let me know in the comments what you’d like to see next!
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About the author
Sarah Howells is a UK gluten free blogger and author. She has been living with coeliac disease since 2002. Her debut recipe book, Delicious Gluten Free Meals, is out now in the UK and to pre-order in the US.
I aboslutely LOVE this! So creative and perfect for October 🙌🏻
Ahhh thank you!!
Love this!!