Halloween Bell Pepper Jack-O'-Lanterns | Recipeish | Gustus Vitae
Yield: 4 Large stuffed bell peppers.
Time Estimate: 1 Hour, including 30 minutes unattended.
Storage Notes: Best if enjoyed the same day, will keep covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days.
Difficulty: Easy.
This easy meal is perfect to make and share with the kiddos - they'll have fun helping out with the easy prep and carving the mini Jack-O'- Lanterns, and in turn you'll have an easy one-pan meal that sneaks in a bunch of veggies.
Ingredients
- 4 Large orange bell peppers
- 1 Cup low/no sodium vegetable or chicken stock
- 1/2 Tin Everything But The Cheddar & Chive Seasoning
- 1/2 Tin Everything But The Swedish Meatball Seasoning
- 2 Tbs vegetable oil
- 1 Cup frozen vegetable medley
- 1 Lb ground beef
- 1 1/2 Cups button mushrooms
- 1 Cup white rice
- 1 Large white onion
- 4 Cloves garlic
- 1 1/2 Cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 4 Tbs grated Parmesan cheese
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Bring a medium cast iron pan up to medium heat, and add ground beef. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned all over.
- Cook rice per instructions and to your preference.
- While this is cooking, peel and mince onion and garlic.
- Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve, leaving juices in the pan. Add garlic and onions, cooking and stirring occasionally for about 8 minutes, or until well browned.
- While these are cooking, clean any grit off mushrooms, and thinly slice.
- Remove onions and garlic with a slotted spoon, add vegetable oil as needed, and sauté mushrooms for about 5 minutes, or until reduced by half.
- Again remove and reserve with a slotted spoon, increase heat to high, and cook frozen vegetables, until just showing some browning, then remove and reserve. Turn off stove.
- Shred mozzarella.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the both 1/2 tins of Everything But The Cheddar & Chive Seasoning and Everything But The Swedish Meatball Seasoning, 1 Cup mozzarella, ground beef, onions and garlic, mushrooms, rice, and previously frozen veggies. Fold well to combine.
- Rinse bell peppers, and slice tops off, then remove seeds.
- Carve mini Jack-O'-Lantern faces into bell peppers, then stuff with mixture, stopping just below the top of the bottom of the peppers, and press down gently to compact.
- Sprinkle remaining mozzarella and Parmesan on top, and re-top with lids.
- Secure lids with a toothpick, and carefully place each bell pepper in a small baking dish, so they are snug and won't fall over.
- Pour in stock to just below the lowest Jack-O'-Lantern mouth/opening, and pop in the oven for 30 minutes. They're ready when the tops are just beginning to show brown splotches.
- Take care to remove the toothpicks, then serve, garnishing with any other 'spooky' additions you have on hand (we had some vibrantly green spinach sauce from a previous meal), and devour.