Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Prepare the Peppers
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C).
- Cut the tops off the orange bell peppers and set the tops aside. Remove and discard the seeds and membranes.
- For the jack-o-lantern appearance, carefully use a small sharp knife to carve simple eyes, a nose, and a mouth into the side of each pepper.
Prepare the Filling
- Add the ground beef, diced onion, and minced garlic to a skillet. Season with salt and black pepper.
- Cook over medium heat, breaking the beef apart as it cooks, until the beef is browned and cooked through and the onion is tender. Drain excess grease if necessary.
- Prepare the RICE-A-RONI Beef Flavor according to the package directions, using the listed butter as appropriate.
- Combine the prepared rice with the cooked ground beef mixture.
- In a small bowl, stir together the tomato paste, 1 tablespoon water, and brown sugar until smooth.
- Add the tomato mixture to the beef and rice filling and stir until everything is evenly combined.
Fill the Peppers
- Spoon the beef and rice mixture evenly into each prepared bell pepper.
- Top each stuffed pepper with shredded mozzarella cheese, then place the reserved pepper tops back on.
Bake
- Pour enough water into a large baking dish to create approximately a 1/4-inch layer of water.
- Arrange the stuffed peppers upright in the baking dish.
- Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake at 400°F for approximately 40 minutes, or until the peppers are tender.
Broil and Serve
- Remove the foil and carefully remove the pepper tops.
- Broil for a few minutes, watching closely, until the mozzarella is melted, bubbling, and lightly browned.
- Replace the pepper tops if desired and serve the Jack-O-Lantern Stuffed Bell Peppers warm.
Notes
- Yield: The recipe uses 4 whole bell peppers, but an explicit serving yield was not provided, so the servings field has been left blank.
- Prep time: No preparation time was provided in the source recipe, so it has not been estimated.
- Cooking time: The source lists 40 minutes of cooking time, which corresponds to the covered baking step. The final broiling step adds a few additional minutes.
- Jack-o-lantern faces: For the Halloween presentation, carefully carve simple faces into the peppers before filling them. Avoid cutting openings so large that the filling can easily fall out.
- Rice: Prepare the RICE-A-RONI according to the package directions before combining it with the cooked beef.
- Butter: The 2 tablespoons butter are listed in the original ingredients but are not separately explained in the instructions. They are likely intended for preparing the boxed rice, so follow the package directions.
- Ground beef: Cook the beef completely before combining it with the rice and stuffing the peppers.
- Cheese: The amount of mozzarella was not specified, so use enough to lightly cover the filling in each pepper.
- Water bath: The shallow layer of water in the baking dish helps create steam and soften the bell peppers during baking.
- Broiling: Watch the peppers closely under the broiler because the mozzarella can brown quickly.
- Storage: Refrigerate cooled leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.