Halloween Jack-o’-Lantern Stuffed Orange Peppers
shared by Nibblore Kitchen
These carved orange peppers turn a hearty filling of seasoned rice, black beans, corn, and tomatoes into a festive vegetarian dinner. Cooking and briefly cooling the rice separately keeps the filling fluffy, while a covered-then-uncovered bake tenderizes the peppers without making them collapse. Have an adult carve the faces with a small, sharp knife before the peppers are filled. • Choose broad, flat-bottomed peppers of similar size so they stand securely and cook at the same rate. • Drain the tomatoes thoroughly; a watery filling can leak through the carved faces and make the peppers slump. • Carve the mouths above the peppers’ bottom third to reduce filling loss during baking. • The rice-cooling time overlaps with the vegetable preparation and is included in the 35-minute prep time. • Use cooked brown rice in place of the white rice; you will need 1 1/2 cups cooked and cooled, and may omit the separate rice-cooking step. • Replace the cheddar with an equal amount of shredded Monterey Jack or a vegetarian dairy-free cheese alternative. • Substitute pinto beans for the black beans in the same quantity. • Use flat-leaf parsley in place of cilantro for both the filling and edible decoration. Remove the decorative cilantro and refrigerate leftover peppers within 2 hours of baking. Store in a shallow, airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat covered in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or microwave individual peppers until the center reaches 165°F (74°C). For freezing, cool completely in the refrigerator first, wrap each pepper securely, and freeze for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
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Save to my cookbook — freeIngredients
- ½ cuplong-grain white rice, uncooked and rinsed until the water runs mostly clear
- ¾ cupwater
- 4orange bell peppers, large and evenly shaped
- 1 tbspolive oil, plus more for greasing
- ½ cupyellow onion, finely diced
- 2 clovegarlic, minced
- 1 tspground cumin
- 1 tspsmoked paprika
- ½ tspdried oregano
- ¼ tspchili powder
- 1 cupblack beans, cooked, drained and rinsed
- ¾ cupcorn kernels, thawed if frozen
- 1 cupdiced tomatoes, drained well
- 1 tbsptomato paste
- 1 tbsplime juice
- ¾ tspfine salt, divided
- ¼ tspground black pepper
- 2 tbspfresh cilantro, finely chopped
- ½ cupsharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 4fresh cilantro sprigs, for edible decoration
- ⅓ cupwater, hot, for the baking pan
Instructions
- 1Combine the rinsed rice, water, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stir once, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 15 minutes without lifting the lid. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes; then fluff with a fork and spread the rice on a dinner plate to cool for 10 minutes while preparing the peppers.
- 2Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly oil a 9-by-9-inch baking pan. Cut a lid about 1/2 inch below the stem of each pepper, keeping each stem attached. Remove the seeds and white membranes from the peppers and lids without puncturing the walls.
- 3An adult should place each pepper on its side on a stable cutting board and use a small, sharp paring knife to carve two small triangular eyes and a short zigzag mouth through one broad side. Keep the openings compact—about 1/2 inch for each eye and no more than 2 inches across for the mouth—so the filling stays inside. Discard the cutout pieces.
- 4Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, and chili powder; cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
- 5Add the black beans, corn, drained tomatoes, and tomato paste to the skillet. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring, until the excess tomato liquid has evaporated. Remove from the heat and fold in the cooled cooked rice, lime juice, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, black pepper, chopped cilantro, and cheddar. The filling should be moist but not wet.
- 6Stand the carved peppers upright in the prepared 9-by-9-inch pan with their faces pointing outward. Divide the filling evenly among them, using about 1 generous cup per pepper and pressing it in gently without compacting it. Replace the pepper lids. Pour 1/3 cup hot water into the bottom of the pan, avoiding the filling.
- 7Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil, tenting it so it does not touch the stems. Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 30 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and bake for another 12 to 15 minutes, until the peppers are tender when pierced near the base but still hold their shape, the filling reaches 165°F (74°C), and the cheese is melted.
- 8Let the peppers rest in the pan for 5 minutes. Transfer one pepper to each plate, arrange one cilantro sprig beside or behind each stem as the edible decoration, and serve hot.