Halloween , Stuffed Peppers , Ground Beef , Black Beans , Cheddar , Indirect Grilling
Best for: Dinner before trick-or-treating.
Orange peppers become little edible jack-o’-lanterns filled with smoky beef, black beans, rice, and cheddar. Indirect grilling softens the peppers while keeping their carved faces recognizable.
Grill: Two-zone, 375–400°F. Equipment: Small paring knife, grill-safe skillet, metal baking pan, foil, thermometer. Course: Main dish.
Ingredients
40–50 minutes Rest: 5 minutes. Total: 70–80 minutes.
- 4 large orange bell peppers
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup finely diced yellow onion
- 12 ounces ground beef, 85–90% lean
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup cooked long-grain rice
- ¾ cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
- ¾ cup thick tomato salsa
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar, divided
- ¼ cup water, for the pan
Directions
Preheat the grill. Cut the tops from the peppers, reserving them, and remove seeds and membranes. Use a small knife to carve small triangle eyes and a narrow mouth into one side of each pepper; keep openings small to retain filling.
Heat the oil in a grill-safe skillet over moderate direct heat. Cook the onion for 3 minutes. Add beef and cook for 6–8 minutes, breaking it up, until it reaches 160°F. Drain excess fat.
Stir in garlic, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper for 1 minute. Remove from heat and mix in rice, beans, salsa, and ½ cup cheddar.
Stand peppers in a snug metal baking pan. Divide filling among them without tightly packing. Pour water into the pan; place reserved pepper tops beside them. Tent with foil.
Put the pan over indirect heat, close the lid, and cook for 25–30 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle peppers with remaining cheddar, and cook 5–8 minutes more, until peppers are tender but upright and filling is steaming hot (165°F if checking reheated filling).
Rest 5 minutes. Set the pepper tops at an angle on the stuffed peppers and serve.
Grilling tip: A snug pan supports the peppers; small carved openings hold the filling better than large toothy mouths.
Allergens: Milk; check salsa labels.
