My own stuffed bell pepper recipe with a festive twist for Halloween.
Can I rate my own recipe? Well, I'll speak for my family, they give it 5 stars. This is one of our favorite things to make this time of year as well as the rest of the year. It's delicious and I forgot to add that after they're done cooking I like to top them off with Ketchup right before serving. Yum! And they freeze good too if you want to make some ahead of time to stock the freezer.
Read MoreI actually have to say that I did not like this recipe. I am a competent cook and I followed the instructions exactly, except for one thing: I didn't cut out the jackolantern faces. I've made other stuffed bell pepper recipes before and they always turned out fine, so I didn't think that cutting out the faces served any functional purpose, merely decorative. However, in retrospect, I may have been mistaken- this was very, very juicy, and before I served the peppers, I actually grabbed them with tongs and tipped them over to drain out all the excess fluids from the ground beef. That being said, I think if I had cut the faces (or at least cut tiny vents), it may have drained on its own... but either way, that was not my issue with this recipe. I think that, as written, it contains too much mustard! I used exactly the amount specified and it overpowered everything else... it tasted just like mustard ground beef, no other flavors. If I made it again, I would reduce the mustard to 2 tbs, 3 max, and also I would saute the onions with the garlic before adding them... otherwise they are still crunchy and spicy after cooking for an hour. Finally, I think I would nix the bread cubes and add a cup of italian bread crumbs instead, and perhaps some freshly chopped parsley. The recipe was lacking flavor or spice- all it tasted like was mustard. One thing I do have to say though is that the cook time and temperature were spot on- it was perfectly done. Just my input.
Read More Can I rate my own recipe? Well, I'll speak for my family, they give it 5 stars. This is one of our favorite things to make this time of year as well as the rest of the year. It's delicious and I forgot to add that after they're done cooking I like to top them off with Ketchup right before serving. Yum! And they freeze good too if you want to make some ahead of time to stock the freezer.
I actually have to say that I did not like this recipe. I am a competent cook and I followed the instructions exactly, except for one thing: I didn't cut out the jackolantern faces. I've made other stuffed bell pepper recipes before and they always turned out fine, so I didn't think that cutting out the faces served any functional purpose, merely decorative. However, in retrospect, I may have been mistaken- this was very, very juicy, and before I served the peppers, I actually grabbed them with tongs and tipped them over to drain out all the excess fluids from the ground beef. That being said, I think if I had cut the faces (or at least cut tiny vents), it may have drained on its own... but either way, that was not my issue with this recipe. I think that, as written, it contains too much mustard! I used exactly the amount specified and it overpowered everything else... it tasted just like mustard ground beef, no other flavors. If I made it again, I would reduce the mustard to 2 tbs, 3 max, and also I would saute the onions with the garlic before adding them... otherwise they are still crunchy and spicy after cooking for an hour. Finally, I think I would nix the bread cubes and add a cup of italian bread crumbs instead, and perhaps some freshly chopped parsley. The recipe was lacking flavor or spice- all it tasted like was mustard. One thing I do have to say though is that the cook time and temperature were spot on- it was perfectly done. Just my input.
I left out the chili sauce/tomato and added a can of RoTel tomatoes. Used 1 1/2 cups regular cook oatmeal.
These turned out SO ADORABLE and the meat was tender and juicy! Instead of 1 small tomato, I drained and added a can of roasted tomatoes, 4 TBS of Worcestershire sauce, and only 1 teaspoon of chili sauce (my little kids don't like food that's too spicy). Next time, I'll try turkey ground meat and a little more chili sauce (2 teaspoons). I definitely recommend this for Halloween!
What a fun idea!!! I'm giving this 5 stars because we really enjoyed them and it will be the perfect meal for Halloween (they are so cute - the girls loved them!) but we didn't use the filling called for in the recipe (we don't eat beef). I stuffed orange bell peppers with seasoned black beans & rice layered with grated cheddar cheese. So yummy & festive!!! I wish I would have snapped a photo before we dug in because they were adorable! :-)
Every year we have guests for dinner, then onto trick-or-treating- lots of kids and parents! This is a great festive meal for everyone. A little freshly shredded parm cheese adds something extra. For the parents- these taste really good washed down with wine or beer : )
What a FAB presentation -- my 12 yr old daughter flipped out over this cleaver idea. I substituted rice for the the bread as I always think bread kind of zaps the flavor from meatloaf and other dishes like this, but otherwise it was wonderful. I've never seen my family gobble up stuffed peppers like they did these!
These were good...and creative! The bread was a bit soggy - I probably won't add it next time.
These are delicious! I am not a pepper fan, and I loved it! I thought my kids would hate it, but they surprised me and now it is their "all-time favorite meal!"
The concept is great, and they looked adorable! The BF actually suggested I photograph them before we stared eating, so I have uploaded the photo. (I used my usual recipe for the stuffing, so I can't comment on that part.) I also made cornbread as a side dish and served the jack-o-peppers with it cut into squares to look like hay bales. (I top my cornbread with shredded apples and Gruyere cheese, and then pop it under the broiler until the cheese *just* starts to brown.) This is a GREAT Halloween treat. Five-star idea! :)
These were wonderful. My family likes spicy food, so I chopped up a fresh jalepeno and tossed it into the mix.
What a fabulous idea! You are so creative! Did the kids eat it? You have so much talent. I expect you to do BIG things with all that talent and you will!
This was so fun to make and so delicious to eat!! I made them on Halloween night since I stayed at home. What a great idea. I will definitely make these again :) Thanks
Very good, had a different colored pepper for each person and everyone loved it. Actually made this recipe in early June so didn't do the jack-o-lantern idea but will certainly have to do this recipe again in the fall. I did use chili powder instead of sauce and didn't use very much since I wasn't sure if the guests would like spicy food, also used a little more Worcestershire sauce to give it a bit more of a kick (almost 4T). Next time I will probably throw some shredded cheese on top, underneath the "lid" of the pepper. Nice and quick.
What a delighful idea! Made these for Halloween, except I used my own vegan recipe for the stuffing, but the idea to carve the peppers like little jack-o-lanterns is absolutely inspired! Thanks for the spooky idea!!!!
I think this is about the cutest idea I've seen in quite awhile. You are really creative! Would give this 10 stars if I could!!! I absolutely love stuffed peppers and making them this way might very well get my family to try them too. Thanks for the terrific idea!
Good recipe. I changed some things when I made these like adding chicken instead of hamburger, but overall, a good recipe! I love stuffed peppers!
Loved the idea of the jack 'o peppers - it was a huge hit with my family! I think this is our new Halloween night dish. :-) I didn't make the stuffing exactly as written, as I didn't have the chili sauce on hand and decided to go with more Italian flavors - Italian seasoned bread crumbs, a drained can of diced tomatoes, some red pepper flakes for spice, a little parm. cheese. We added ketchup after cutting them up. The peppers I had on hand weren't too good at standing on their own (wrong shape for that), so I made little stands for them out of tin foil to prop them up - worked really well.
although I made my own stuffing, this really was a hit on Halloween. Our guests loved the look and the taste. I will highly recommend this for fun and flavor.
Delicious & festive...loved the flavor! Subbed roughly 1.5 cups cooked white rice for bread & added an additional TBSP Worcestershire and only added 2 TSP yellow mustard. Cooked beef and drained excess grease prior to mixing other ingredients. Cooked stuffed peppers for 40 minutes. Unlike other reviewers, I had NO leftover stuffing & was running a little light on the last pepper, so not sure if only 1.5 cups rice was enough for the 4 slices of bread (flavor was really good, so not sure I would add more rice next time)...Maybe my peppers were much bigger? Had a casualty carrying the tray of pumpkins to the table, but they were adorable. Highly recommend this recipe...what a great way to celebrate Halloween!
I added some shredded Manchego (similar to Jack) cheese in the meat mixture, and then a bit ontop at the end of baking. And I FORGOT to cut the holes!!! Next time! Closer to Halloween!
Awesome idea and flavor. Can use other meats as well. Italian sausage was really good. Instead of cubed bread, I used plain stuffing and it cooked up nicely. Thanks for the novel presentation!
Loved it.. meat was moist and delicous. Red pepper favorite. Kids loved them also.
so cute but mine wrinkled and aged while cooking--kind of like I did! Very tasty. I used rice instead of bread and tomato sauce as that what was handy. Mine looked much spookier due to my wrinkles--Yours are much more CASPER friendly pepper lanterns.
Although the concept was adorable, I found the meat mixture overwhelmed by the mustard and soggy with the bread.
What a great idea to cut out the peppers into jack-o-lanterns. And they keep their shape after baking. So cute and delicious. And versatile - you can always adjust the ground meat filling to your taste. Thanks for sharing!
Cute . I got a lot of smiles out of this but it took longer then I expected to carve the faces. A yummy halloween idea.
Ihave not tried this but just want to make the point that this is a great idea with whatever stuffed pepper recipe you use~
I'm giving this 5 stars basically because of "stepperanddaniel's" creativity. I usually make a dinner with a Halloween theme, but couldn't think of a new idea & happy I ran across it. I made these with orange bell peppers for Halloween last night and the grand kids who were visiting loved them & even the hubby got a kick out of them! I did use my mom's recipe that I grew up with because it's tried and true (and love that it has rice in the mix) So...I can't really rate the recipe, but just wanted to say thanks much for sharing the idea!
I was skeptical to try a different pepper recipe but omGoodness its awesome. I added some cheese & made extra sauce on the side but yummy. & I loved the lanterns .. theyre cute.& tasty. The chili sauce added something mmm just awesome.
Sooooo much fun for Halloween! The peppers were delicious! I did saute the onions and reduce the mustard to 2 tablespoons because my boyfriend doesn't like mustard and I upped the chili sauce, even putting some on top while they were baking. Very, VERY good and very festive!
Just made this for dinner with the grand kids. They loved it. Wanted to know if they could help make it next Tuesday when they come over.
attractive and yummy We used a traditional filling of carmelized onions garlic and veggies mixed with leftover rice and a mixture of sweet sausage and grass fed gr meat with carrots and topped with sauted asparagus and onions The orange bell peppers were a hit as they were not bitter like the usual green
Great recipe and lots of fun to make. I served with mashed potatoes and brocoli. Placed the pepper in the center of the potatoes and put brocoli up like trees. The family really enjoyed the filling. I added another clove of garlic and another small tomato to the recipe. Since I didn't have chili sauce, I used ketchup. Added cheese to the tops too.
I absolutely loved the jack o lantern look to the bell peppers! it was very festive and fun! I followed the recipe but I doubled it. I did however change a few things... instead of breadcrumbs I use rice 4 cups for doubled recipe. I, also didn't use the chili sauce I just substituted tomato sauce instead. to replace the chili paste I used the spice cumin! It was a great hit for Halloween weekend! I cooked everything together on the stove first but before stuffing the mixture into the peppers I added the eggs so it would stick together better!
This was EXTREMELY cute when cooked. Like some other reviewers, I used my own stuffing (sauteed onions, rice pilaf, carrot shreds, sausage and cheese) and it's going to be used every halloween hereforth. Oh, I put peas in the eyes.
These were OK as a base recipe, and great with my modifications. I didn't have chili sauce, so instead I used about 1/2-1 tsp each of chili powder, cayenne pepper, and cumin. I omitted the bread and added about half a cup of pre-cooked white rice to the stuffing, and included a layer of grated cheddar cheese inside the peppers. I cooked the peppers as directed, except at 45 minutes I drizzled half a jar of tomato sauce over the top (although this does cover up the cute faces somewhat). I served with heated tomato sauce and extra cheddar cheese on Halloween and they were a hit!
This was very good. Like other reviewers, I used brown rice instead of bread, but I don't think that would change the flavour, which was delicious. Making those few wee slices into the peppers to turn them into jack-o-lanterns took no time and made my husband laugh, so it's all good! I give it a 4 instead of 5 just because of the bread-rice substitution. I thought bread would make it taste like stuffing.
very good, I used a dash of tabasco sauce instead of W.sauce and Chilli sauce because I didn't have any W,chilli sauce. I took a little bit of the mixture and used it in a salad, added just a little zing to it.
I made these for dinner the day before Halloween and they were a big hit! My grandson loved the Jack-O-Lanterns! I spiced up the filling by using my homemade spaghetti sauce, and also used brown rice. They turned out really cute!
My family adored these! My husband is not usually too keen on bell peppers but I used the orange ones and they were really sweet and full of flavor. I showed the picture of the ones I made at work and they want them for Thanksgiving. Now I'll have to figure out how to make them into turkeys!!!
This is the first time I have stuffed peppers without rice. It was fantastic. My husband just loved it and it has now taken the place of the old recipes. Did not change a thing and had leftovers. Thanks for the great recipe.
These are so cute although I didn't care for the taste. My grandson was having three friends over for Halloween and I made these for that and the kids were interested but didn't like them. But I have a family recipe with meat and rice that I'll use next time. Thanks for the idea.
The vents, i.e., scary faces are there for a reason other than they are fun to prepare for Halloween.
I forgot bread, the egg and ground pepper. I let everything marinate while at work and just baked when I got home. We took them to a Bon fire and enjoyed eating by hand but they were very good with garlic bread on the side later at home too. Thanks!
I made these for Halloween this year and the family loved the idea. I used yellow and orange peppers. I don't stock chili sauce, so substituted Heinz 57 instead (which is what I use in my meatloaf). Everyone was taking pictures of them!
Yummy and ever so cute! I added shredded cheese and parm to mixture...also, a toothpick in top of each lid keeps things nice and neat while cooking! Happy Halloween!
The rating is for the idea. Sorry didn't even try the stuffing mix as I was having a Mexican theme dinner so used my own mix. The cut out peppers was a huge hit! Thanks for idea.
I did not cut jack-o-lantern faces, but I did follow the recipe. I enjoyed the meal very much. :)
Ok on flavor, but mine came out super "juicy". you could flip them upside down and about a half cup of liquid would pour out of them. too much meat I think. Would have been perfect with rice in there, the bread didnt absorb much. otherwise the flavor was good.
I love this idea! I stuffed it with the ground turkey filling I typically make...funny how those little faces on the peppers make them taste even better! Thanks for the idea.
Loved the idea. We do stuffed peppers occasionally (tonight I just did I semi-fried rice and then stuffed them - cuts down on the baking time), but loved the Jack O Lantern idea. To add to it, put some cauliflower on the top under the lid for "brains"!
Very Cute Presentation; stuffing disappointing - forget the bread (sub w/yellow or brown rice maybe), add some real veggies, and zip up with some speecy-spicy-spoosy (Ro'Tel tomatoes, salsa, corn, etc). As is, tastes and looks like pepper-shaped meat loaf. Will try again next year with changes. Used green, yellow, red & orange peppers - What a grand idea!
Loved these! The idea was so fun. My son had a blast making these with me. They looked great and tasted great, too. I used a Thai chili sauce, which complimented the bell peppers really well.
Love! Super easy. Didn't add too much mustard. Added a touch of hot sauce to it. My boyfriend loved these. Will definitely male again!
Carving the bell pepper was a creative concept, but the meal itself is horrible. The stuffing was extremely wet and soggy. This recipe was a disappointment.
This is such a darling idea! I didn't use the filling recipe, didn't have all the ingredients but made a simple ground beef and rice with tomato paste filling. They were so cute my daughter took pictures and emailed them! I plan on trying this with red peppers to make Santa's for the holidays. A keeper!
Im reviewing this recipe based on the actual recipe. I did not change a thing. If you like mustard, than this is for you. I made this for my family, and all 6 of us thought it was waaay too tangy and we couldn't taste anything else but mustard. If I were to ever make this again, Id have to literally just put a teaspoon of mustard in it, and add rice, like I read other people did. As written, this recipe was also very "juicy". Also another reason to add the rice. I was surprised at the dissapointment of this recipie, given the high ratings.
Okay, this may just be me, but the thought of cooking raw meat in a vegetable and consuming all the grease really makes my stomach turn....but then again whenever I cook ground beef I rinse it afterwards. :) This was a good recipe, and so ever cute...this is what I did to be a little healthier with what I had around the house. Used ground turkey and cooked it up with the onion and garlic. Drained it well and added a can of rotel tomatoes (drained!) Cut the mustard in half (as others suggested) Did not have chilli sauce, so sprinkled in about 3/4 tbs of chilli powder. Toasted the bread then cut it up (fearing it would be soupy like others said, I chose to toast it first) I put all of this in 4 large red and yellow peppers. They were really full, but cooked PERFECTLY! They were tasty, moist, a bit spicy and not dry or runny. Next time I plan on adding seasoned black beans and maybe some corn as well. Thanks for the cute idea!
I don't cook from scratch at all, but this was very easy to make! I'm bringing them to my company's Halloween potluck! Cook time was PERFECT - My roommate loved how juicy the meat was! I didn't have any pepper at home nor did I add the tomato (since I don't like it), but it was really good still! I'd like to add more flavor to the meat so perhaps I'll take some suggestions from other reviews :)
Got the cool mom award! Works well with ground turkey, too! Per others, used less mustard. Threw everything in the sauce pan to pre-cook all except bread and egg. Baked at 400 degrees & cut cooking time in half.
This is delicious and should not be saved for just Halloween. The peppers don't have to be Jack O Lanterns.
I made these last night for a Halloween Eve dinner. They were excellent. My 2 1/2 year old loved the faces, and even my husband said they were really good (and he never REALLY compliments my cooking). They were a little mustardy, but I love mustard so it didn't bother me at all. We will definitely be using this recipe again!!
Really cute idea! The stuffing turned out mushy and the flavor wasn't right for our family. We didn't care for them. They did look cute on the table for decoration.
I made these for Halloween dinner last year. The kids LOVED these! It tasted a little like meatloaf.
I used my recipe for ground chicken/beef stuffed peppers.. About the same recipe except I add fine grated carrots and 1/2 lean beef 1/2 ground chicken to mix . Loved the carved faces!
DELISH!!! super easy to cut out with a sharp knife, took me about 15 mins for 5 peppers. I used yellow, orange and red and they maintained their bright colors. Make sure to cook with a cover, I didn't see that written anywhere in the recipe. I had minimal juice in the bottom of the pan, the flavors were really great, I didn't stray too much from the recipe and had great reviews!
Delicious! My husband loved them and so did I. I usually don't like stuffed peppers but these were so good. I will make again when peppers go back on sale!
i havent tried this recipe, it looks yummy! I just wanted to say WHAT A GREAT IDEA!!! they look sooo cute!!
Excellent recipe. First, the idea of carving the peppers like pumpkins is genius. I made it for my kids, 4 and 2, but they said the peppers were too scary and didn't eat. I suspect that's just an excuse though. The rest of the kids 30+ years old in the house ate it and loved it. Second, I did make changes because we don't like spicy. Instead of 4 white bread slices I used only 2 slices of multigrain bread with a sweet taste. Instead of the chili sauce, I used 1/3 cup of ketchup because I was going for sweet rather than spicy. And I added some chopped parsley in the meat for flavor. Very yummy. This is on my regular menu from now on.
I LOVE the idea of the peppers! Bought orange ones and stuffed them with my own recipe. HUGE HUGE hit at my dinner party! Adorable! The leftover one in the fridge stuffed in a baggie is hysterical every time I open the fridge!
Absolutely delicious. I added the parts of pepper I cut out for faces into the beef mixture and sprinkled cheese on top before putting them in the oven.
This recipe was so easy to put together, a lot of fun to serve, and so tasty! I used chili garlic sauce, and will probably use a little less next time because it was too spicy for some my guests. I also substituted the bread for 1 cup of rice and a handful of panko bread crumbs. I used only 4 peppers and molded my remaining stuffing into the shape of rat, which looked quite creepy with some noodle whiskers and cheerio eyes.
To whomever thought it was bland, I assure you it isn't! I just made this with my boyfriend, we both enjoyed making this very yummy and cute dish (although I have to admit I was the only one who wanted to carve out the faces!). We followed the recipe but for 3 bell Peppers and we could barely finish one so much it was filling! We found this to be very satisfying and tasted great :) Thank you for this great recipe and cute idea!
Made these tonight with orange bell peppers and served on a bed of quinoa with peas and carrots. Very colorful and totally delish! Just hubby and I tonight but I'm already planning a Halloween dinner party for next year just to serve these!
I am sorry.. I thought this was going to be a good recipe. I followed the recipe exactly, and although my family thought they were neat, when they took a bite they were not far from spitting it back out. I tasted it aswell and.. they didnt taste right. Something is definately missing from this recipe. They looked pretty cute though.
Great meal for evening meal and also good reheated. Have it marked as a regular meal.
I love this recipe! So simple and yet so incredibly tasty! I vary the spices and the veggies depending on my mood and it never fails.
Great treat for Halloween! I used ground chicken, 1 jalapeño, 1 tomato, 1 onion, 1/2 cup wild rice, dry mustard powder, and the other seasonings. Precooked all the stuffing ingredients and stuffed the peppers. They were ready in 40 minutes and tasted fantastic. They made dinner fun.
This recipe is so good! I substituted rice for whole wheat bread along with some bread crumbs. It was really easy which is important to me because i don't cook as my screen name suggests! People had suggested to add less mustard which is also did. This is the type of recipe where you can really do what you want. May try (as someone suggested) a vegetarian recipe with black beans instead of ground beef. Wonderful!!!
Very Good!!....Followed the recipe except for the bread, substituted this with one cup cooked rice, turned out very tasty.
These easy Halloween peppers will be repeated every year. They were a big hit with my family. So cute! I used my own ground turkey and rice concoction for the filling.
This was a decent recipe, but I do agree that there was too much mustard. I also didn't do the jack-o-lantern design, because it wasn't Halloween, which made them very very juicy.
Good stuff! I substituted 1 cup cooked white rice instead of bread. The jack-o-lantern got the kids to eat em.
