Carve out time for a playful Halloween-themed family dinner with a spooky twist on a traditional recipe
I love making stuffed bell peppers in the fall. They are easy to make ahead of time and a delicious dish that is the perfect comfort food on a cool autumn evening. I first shared a recipe for stuffed bell peppers back in September 2020 and decided to revamp this family favorite and give it a bit of a makeover, transforming a cozy autumn supper into a festive Halloween-themed dinner for family and friends.
To create these spooky themed peppers, I used a small X-Acto craft knife and a sharp paring knife to cut out spooky jack-o’-lantern faces onto orange, red and yellow bell peppers. To ramp up the flavors of my original stuffed pepper recipe, I added a couple of cups of shredded pepper jack cheese to my sausage and rice to give the filling a more spicy and creamy texture. To keep the peppers moist while they bake, I replaced the store-bought spaghetti sauce I normally use with a jarred spicy red enchilada sauce. The spicy enchilada sauce gives these Halloween-themed stuffed peppers a warm and smoky fall kick. With these few changes, I turned my family’s favorite comfort food into a festive main course that is the perfect dinner to serve on a crisp October night.
Spooky Stuffed Peppers
Yield: 8 servings
8 sweet bell peppers (yellow, red, orange and green)
1 lb. bulk breakfast sausage (hot or mild)
2 Tbsp. olive or avocado oil
½ cup chopped onions
½ cup chopped bell pepper
¼ cup chopped celery
2 cloves minced garlic
4 cups cooked long-grain rice
½ tsp. Creole seasoning
¼ tsp. black pepper
¼ tsp. dried thyme
2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
½ cup chopped green onions
2 cups jarred red enchilada sauce
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish with foil. Cut tops off bell peppers and reserve tops. Remove seeds and membrane and rinse peppers well.
If desired, use a paring knife or pumpkin carving tools to cut a spooky face into the front of each bell pepper. Place hollowed-out bell peppers in lined casserole dish.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add sausage. Sauté until browned. Transfer to a large strainer to drain any excess grease; set aside. Place empty skillet back on stove and add olive or avocado oil. Sauté onion, chopped bell pepper, celery and garlic for 2 to 3 minutes, then add drained sausage back into skillet with vegetables. Sauté for another 2 to 3 minutes before adding cooked rice. Reduce heat to medium and stir until everything is well combined. Season mixture with Creole seasoning, black pepper and thyme. Fold in shredded cheese and chicken broth and continue stirring until cheese is melted. Fold in chopped green onions and turn off heat.
Divide rice mixture among hollowed-out bell peppers and top each with reserved bell pepper tops. Pour red enchilada sauce in bottom of casserole dish and cover with another piece of foil. Bake for 45 minutes, then uncover to check doneness. If needed, continue baking uncovered for an additional 10 minutes. Bell peppers are ready when they are tender but still holding their shape.
This article was originally published in the October 2026 issue of 225 Magazine.
