Stuffed Jack-O-Lantern Peppers

Halloween is only two days away so thought I'd share these stuffed peppers with you for your Halloween feast.  They are simple and fun.

1 pound ground beef

1/2 cup uncooked long grain white rice

1 cup water

6  bell peppers (you pick the color)

2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 tsp. dried basil

1/2 tsp. dried oregano 

Clean peppers by cutting out the top and scoop out the inside with a spoon.  Discard the seeds, and membranes of the bell peppers.  Save the top. With a small paring knife, cut out the eyes and mouth to look like a Jack-O-Lantern.  You can put a small cup inside the pepper to give you something hard to help you cut.  Don't put your hand in the pepper and cut yourself.  Slice the bottoms of the peppers if necessary so that they will stand upright.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the rice and water in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and cook 20 minutes. In a skillet over medium heat, cook the beef until evenly browned.

In a bowl, mix the browned beef, cooked rice, 1 can tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Spoon an equal amount of the mixture into each hollowed pepper. Mix the remaining tomato sauce and Italian seasoning in a bowl, and pour over the stuffed peppers.

Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, basting with sauce every 15 minutes, until the peppers are tender.

Hope you have a great Monday.  Be happy and may God bless you and yours.