Jack-O-Lantern Casserole–seasoned ground beef, rice, green chiles, and cheese stuffed inside an orange bell pepper that is carved to look like a Halloween jack-o-lantern. Made in your Instant Pot!
Jack-O-Lantern Casserole
These healthy, scrumptious and cute stuffed peppers are a perfect menu item for Halloween dinner. They’ll fill you up with nutrition before you eat all that candy. 😉 You certainly can make these peppers any time of year though! You may just not carve them to look like a pumpkin.
The cool thing about this recipe is that you put raw ground beef and raw rice into the pepper and with a short 10 minute pressure cooking time the rice and the beef is completely cooked through. Make sure to use long grain white rice so that it will cook at the right rate. And use a very lean ground beef so there is not a lot of grease.
Ingredients/Substitution Ideas
- Orange bell peppers–Look for wide-bottomed peppers that can stand up on their own, making them ideal for stuffing. Four-lobed peppers are more stable and often roomier, giving you more space to add your filling.
- Lean ground beef (93/7)–or lean ground turkey
- Chili powder
- Cumin
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Red pepper flakes
- Diced green chiles–I used mild
- Tomato sauce
- Long grain white rice–raw
- Sharp cheddar cheese–or monterey jack, pepper jack, colby
Steps
Pour 1 cup into the bottom of the Instant Pot. Place a trivet into the Instant Pot.
Use a small knife to cut eyes, nose, and mouth into the flattest side of each pepper, just like a jack-o’-lantern. Cut around the seed pods and remove the tops, trimming and discarding any seeds from under the stems. Trim the white membrane from the inside of each pepper and shake out any seeds.
In a mixing bowl add the beef, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, green chiles, tomato sauce, white rice and half of the cheese. With a fork gently stir to combine all of the ingredients as evenly as possible.
Spoon the meat filling evenly into each of the peppers. (Depending on the size of the peppers they might be very full or 2/3 full).
Place the peppers on top of the trivet.
Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 10 minutes. When time is up move valve to venting and remove the lid.
Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top of the peppers and let melt. Serve and enjoy!
Notes/Tips
- Serve with a side of black beans and a side of cornbread and honey butter.
- I used my 6 quart Instant Pot*. You can also make this in an 8 quart pot.
- This recipe is gluten free.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container* in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- You can make this with any color of bell pepper you’d like.
- Other recipes you can make with chili powder are Hoosier Chicken and Instant Pot 15 Bean Soup.
Did you know you can filter the recipes on my website to search by meat type, IP or Crockpot, low carb, gluten free, etc.? Use the filter to find exactly what you are looking for.
Jack-O-Lantern Casserole
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Seasoned ground beef, rice, green chiles, and cheese stuffed inside an orange bell pepper that is carved to look like a Halloween jack-o-lantern. Made in your Instant Pot!
Ingredients
- 4 medium orange bell peppers
- 1/2 pound lean ground beef (93/7)
- 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- 1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles (I used mild)
- 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
- 1/3 cup long grain white rice
- 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Pour 1 cup into the bottom of the Instant Pot. Place a trivet into the Instant Pot.
- Use a small knife to cut eyes, nose, and mouth into the flattest side of each pepper, just like a jack-o’-lantern. Cut around the seed pods and remove the tops, trimming and discarding any seeds from under the stems. Trim the white membrane from the inside of each pepper and shake out any seeds.
- In a mixing bowl add the beef, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, green chiles, tomato sauce, white rice and half of the cheese. With a fork gently stir to combine all of the ingredients as evenly as possible.
- Spoon the meat filling evenly into each of the peppers. (Depending on the size of the peppers they might be very full or 2/3 full).
- Place the peppers on top of the trivet.
- Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 10 minutes. When time is up move valve to venting and remove the lid.
- Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top of the peppers and let melt.
- Serve and enjoy!
- Category: Beef
- Method: Instant Pot
More Instant Pot stuffed pepper recipes…
Instant Pot/Slow Cooker Mexican Stuffed Peppers
Bell peppers are stuffed with brown rice, black beans and salsa and cooked perfectly in your electric pressure cooker or your crockpot. You can make them vegetarian or with meat, it’s up to you. Top with a dollop of sour cream and enjoy this healthy weeknight dinner.
Instant Pot Stuffed Pepper Soup
An easy, filling and healthy-ish meal that has all the flavors of stuffed peppers in soup form.
Instant Pot Taco Stuffed Peppers
Instant Pot Taco Stuffed Peppers–bell peppers stuffed with taco seasoned ground beef, cheese, salsa and sour cream (only 6 ingredients). A delicious summer dinner that is low carb and low cal! Pin this recipe for later! Note: the SLOW COOKER instructions are listed in the recipe card below Instant Pot Taco Stuffed Peppers I’ve been
*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
What a great idea to turn he peppers into Jack-O-lanterns!
Thanks Martha!