Cheesy Beef Taco Stuffed Peppers

These bell pepper jack-o'-lanterns are stuffed with the most incredible, taco-inspired filling - a savory blend of Southwest seasoned beef, tender rice and cheddar cheese. Oh, but that's not all. The filling is topped with more cheese (because more is better) and the peppers are baked until the cheese is all melty and the peppers are all soft. Ghoulishly good. 

And they're super adorable too! Make quick work with a paring knife and you can "carve" any face you want. And, once Halloween is over, you don't have to carve them at all! In fact, you can make these stuffed peppers any time, with any pepper variety you choose - red, green, yellow, and orange. Or stuff a few different colored peppers and you'll have a spectacular presentation.

Want to prep ahead? Genius idea - stuff the peppers as directed and place them in the baking dish. Cover with plastic and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Remove the peppers from the fridge about 30 minutes before baking.

Cheesy Beef Taco Stuffed Peppers

1 cup white rice
1 tablespoon butter
Salt and ground black pepper
1 pound ground beef
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
6 bell peppers, top sliced off and seeds removed (and cut into jack-o-lanterns if desired), reserve the tops!

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Combine the rice, butter, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a small saucepan. Add 2 cups of water and set the pan over high heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed.
Meanwhile, brown the beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking up the meat as it cooks. If necessary, drain away any fat and return the beef to the pan. Add the chili powder, cumin, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper to the beef and stir to coat. Cook for 1 minute, until the herbs and spices are fragrant. Add the ketchup and Worcestershire sauce and stir to combine. Stir in 1/2 cup of the cheese. Stir in the rice (if the rice isn't finished cooking yet, just remove the beef from the heat).
Spoon the mixture into the peppers and top with the remaining cheese.
Transfer the peppers to a shallow baking dish and top with the bell pepper tops. Bake for 15 minutes, until the cheese melts and the peppers soften slightly.

Serves 4-6