Spooky on the outside, smoky on the inside
Halloween food doesn't have to mean another bowl of candy. Drip EZ ambassador Stefanos Koukas (@viewsncues) turned bell peppers into little jack-o'-lanterns and packed them with a cheesy, smoky burrito filling. It's the kind of dinner that gets the kids to the table and still feeds the grown-ups right.
The secret is in the details: charcoal-smoked corn, a punchy homemade spice mix, and plenty of melty cheddar. Carve, stuff, bake, and serve — no tricks required.
Ingredients
For the peppers
- Bell peppers (orange for the full jack-o'-lantern look), one per person
- Tomato sauce, a generous pour for the baking dish
For the burrito stuffing
- Ground beef
- Pinto beans
- Charcoal-smoked corn
- Cream cheese
- Shredded cheddar (lots of it)
Stefanos's spice mix
- 2 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 2 tsp chipotle powder
- 1 tsp chili flakes
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 2 tbsp salt
Open question: the reel gives no quantities for the stuffing or pepper count, and no oven temperature. Confirm with Stefanos, or test in-house before publishing (a starting point: 1 lb beef, 1 can beans, 1 cup corn, 4 oz cream cheese, 1½ cups cheddar for 6 peppers at 375°F).
How to make Jack-o-Peppers
- Smoke the corn. Grill the corn over charcoal until lightly charred, then cut it off the cob.
- Mix the spices. Combine the smoked paprika, cumin, chipotle, chili flakes, nutmeg and salt.
- Cook the beef. Brown the ground beef and season it with the spice mix to taste.
- Build the stuffing. In a Drip EZ Prep Tub, mix the beef, pinto beans, smoked corn, cream cheese and cheddar. Stir it all together right in the tub — no extra bowls to wash.
- Carve the faces. Cut the tops off the peppers, scoop out the seeds, and carve spooky little faces. Use the Prep Tub's built-in cutting board to keep the counter clean.
- Stuff your monsters. Pack each pepper with the burrito filling and set the tops back on.
- Bake. Pour a generous layer of tomato sauce into a baking tray, nestle in the peppers, and bake for about 45 minutes, until tender and melty.
- Serve. Top with extra cheddar and serve hot. Happy Halloween!
The gear behind the mess-free prep
Stefanos kept this one clean from carving to stuffing. Here's what he used.
Our best-selling prep tub is built for exactly this kind of cook: mix the stuffing, carve on the built-in cutting board, and stash leftovers under the locking lid. Collapsible sides fold it down for storage, and carry handles take it from counter to grill.
- Built-in cutting board, locking lid, collapsible sides, carry handles
- Three sizes: JR (34.99), Original (47.99), XL ($54.99)
- Four colors: Black, Orange, Forest Green, Sandstone
- For this recipe: the Original holds a full batch of stuffing for 6–8 peppers
Make it your own
Tag @bbq_dripez and @viewsncues when you carve your Jack-o-Peppers. We want to see your scariest faces. Need the gear? Shop the Prep Tub and Serve Up™ a Halloween dinner without the cleanup.
