Halloween Stuffed Peppers

These Halloween Stuffed Peppers are a fun way to have a more balanced meal at the Halloween party. Inspired by the Peruvian Rocoto Relleno and typically made with a very spicy pepper, this recipe uses a common orange bell pepper stuffed with the original delicious ground meat mix and Tropical Queso Peruano to keep the authentic flavors. Halloween Stuffed Peppers are not spicy, so they are kid-friendly and deliciously scary.

Ingredients

Filling:

• 4 large orange bell peppers
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup finely chopped fennel bulb (about ½ of a small bulb)
• 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion (about 1 small)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes
• 1 pound ground beef (at least 15 percent fat), turkey, chicken or pork
• ¾ cup dry white wine, chicken broth or vegetable broth
• 1 (14-ounce) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 ½ cups grated Tropical Queso Peruano
• 1 cup cooked white or brown rice
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Heat olive oil in a medium-size pot over medium heat, then add the fennel, onion, and garlic and stir. Add the oregano and red pepper flakes. Stir and cook until tender.
3. Add ground beef and mix until it’s well-cooked. Then, pour in the broth and add the tomatoes. Cook until all flavors mix and remove from heat.
4. In a big bowl, mix the meat with the grated Queso Peruano, cooked rice and parsley. Mix well.
5. With a sharp knife, carefully cut the tops of the peppers and carve jack-o-lantern faces while they’re raw. Remove seeds and membrane.
6. Stuff each pepper with the meat mix and place them in a baking dish. Cover and wrap tightly with aluminum foil. Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes.