Your Halloween dinner party guests will turn into ravenous monsters when you bring these orange jack-o’-lantern chicken and rice stuffed peppers, inspired by Everyday Jenny, to the table.
Orange bell peppers carved into edible jack-o’-lanterns and stuffed with spicy shredded chicken and brown rice become a scary good dinner for Halloween gatherings, harvest parties, and fun family meals.
ALSO TRY: Easy steak and peppers
As a bonus, they’re a healthier take on the traditional ground beef and white rice-stuffed peppers. If you’re looking for healthy, hearty recipes to balance out the extra holiday sweets and treats, put this festive dish on your list!
To make your Halloween party prep easier, cook the chicken breasts or thighs ahead of time and refrigerate until you need them. You can also pick up a rotisserie chicken from the store that’s cooked, hot, and ready to go.
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Fix the filling
Place the shredded chicken in a pan and generously season with cumin, garlic salt, ancho chili powder, smoked paprika, and black pepper. Stir in a can of diced tomatoes and chilies.
The secret to delicious brown rice
To bring out the naturally nutty flavor of brown rice, toast it in olive oil before adding tomato sauce, chicken broth, and seasonings. (We recommend toasting all of your rice before adding liquid! You’ll love the little boost of flavor.)
Cook rice
Simmer the brown rice until tender.
Prep the jack-o’-lantern peppers
Cut off the tops of the bell peppers and hollow out the insides.
Create jack-o’-lantern face
Use a paring knife and cut jack-o’-lantern faces into the peppers.
Cook the peppers
Place the peppers and tops in boiling water, cook for a few minutes or until just tender. Transfer the peppers and tops to a bowl of ice-cold water to halt the cooking.
Prepare the filling
Combine the chicken and rice with black beans and shredded cheddar cheese.
Stuff the peppers
Place the peppers in a baking dish. Fill each pepper with the chicken mixture.
Get ready to devour
Sprinkle with additional shredded cheese, and cover with the bell pepper tops. Bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the peppers are tender. Serve immediately: Your hungry Halloween ghouls are waiting!
Totally cute and absolutely delicious!
So festive for your Halloween dinner party.
Impress your guests with this adorable recipe!
Jack-o'-lantern chicken and rice stuffed peppers
Yield 4 servings
Ingredients
Chicken:
- 2-1/2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chilies
Rice:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup uncooked brown rice
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon taco seasoning
Peppers:
- 4 large orange bell peppers
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed
- 3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar, divided into 1/2 cup and 1/4 cup
- Fresh Italian parsley, minced (for garnish)
Instructions
- Place shredded chicken in medium-sized sauté pan over medium heat. Sprinkle with cumin, garlic salt, ancho chili powder, smoked paprika and black pepper. Mix well.
- Add can of diced tomatoes. Simmer for 5 minutes. Set aside.
- To prepare rice, heat oil in medium-sized saucepan over medium heat.
- Add rice and cook, stirring often, until it turns golden.
- Add cumin, garlic salt and taco seasoning. Cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Add tomato sauce and chicken broth; bring to boil.
- Cover pan, reduce heat to low and cook for 30 to 35 minutes until rice is tender.
- Fluff rice with fork. Set aside
- Bring large pot of water to boil over high heat.
- Rinse peppers, slice off tops, and hollow out insides. Remove seeds and white pith.
- Using small paring knife, cut out jack-o'-lantern face on each pepper.
- When water boils, add peppers and tops and cook for about 5 minutes or until peppers are tender.
- Remove peppers from water and place in an ice bath to cool.
- In large bowl, combine cooked rice, shredded chicken, 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese and black beans.
- Fill each pepper with chicken and rice mixture, and top with extra 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese.
- Replace pepper tops back on top of each pepper.
- Place peppers upright in baking dish.
- Bake at 350F for 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and pepper is done to desired tenderness.
- Garnish with minced parsley and serve.
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