Frito pie stuffed peppers are a festive and delicious Halloween idea that doubles as a fun craft and a filling dinner to power you through an evening of spooky activities. Learn how to carve stuffed pepper jack-o’-lanterns and fill them with classic Frito pie.
Recipe originally published October 2010
Halloween stuffed peppers
As Halloween approaches each year, I keep coming back to my favorite seasonal tradition: carving stuffed pepper jack-o’-lanterns. Even though they’ve become widely popular—and yes, people with pets have made them too—I still make them every October because they’re charming, easy, and tasty.
For this year’s version I chose a Midwest favorite: Frito pie stuffed peppers. They combine warm, flavorful chili with crunchy Fritos, melty cheese, and a bright finish of crema and jalapeño slices.
Make your favorite chili—mine is a smoky lentil chili that cooks up quickly—grab a bag of Fritos, and carve a couple of peppers. The process is simple and the result is a super fun, comforting Halloween night dinner.
Carving the peppers is the most enjoyable part. Cut the tops off like you would for a mini pumpkin, remove seeds and ribs, and carefully carve jack-o’-lantern faces into the side with the best surface.
Ready for stuffing:
When assembling, I layered the chili with a dairy-free cheese that grates beautifully. If you make the chili ahead of time, the carved peppers can be filled with cold chili and baked to heat through. The Smoky Lentil Chili I used is fairly quick to prepare, so you can carve while it cooks.
BOO!
Did you make this recipe?
Follow spabettie on Instagram and tag us with #spabettie
We love seeing your recipe photos and remakes—thank you!
Frito Pie Stuffed Peppers
A fun and festive Halloween craft and dinner that will keep you energized through the evening.
30 minutes
35 minutes
1 hour 5 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 orange bell peppers
- 2 servings Smoky Lentil Chili, or your favorite chili recipe
- 1–2 ounces Quick Smoky Vegan Cheddar, grated and divided
- ⅓ cup Fritos corn chips, divided
- 2 tablespoons cashew cream, divided
- 1 fresh jalapeño pepper, sliced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 °F.
- If not prepared ahead of time, make your chili.
- While the chili cooks, cut the tops off the bell peppers as you would for a pumpkin. Remove seeds and ribs, then carefully carve jack-o’-lantern faces on the flattest side of each pepper.
- To assemble: Place peppers upright in a baking dish. Spoon prepared chili into the carved peppers (chili can be cold if made ahead). When each pepper is about half full, add a layer of grated vegan cheese. Top with more chili and another layer of cheese.
- Bake at 350 °F for 30–35 minutes, or until heated through and peppers are softened.
- To serve: Top with Fritos, a drizzle of cashew cream, and sliced jalapeño.
Notes
Dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free vegan recipe.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2
Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 396
Total Fat: 27g
Saturated Fat: 8g
Trans Fat: 0g
Unsaturated Fat: 11g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 477mg
Carbohydrates: 29g
Fiber: 14g
Sugar: 9g
Protein: 11g
Nutrition calculations vary by tool and are for informational purposes only.
about Kristina:
Kristina is spabettie! She discovered cooking at an early age and launched spabettie in 2010 to share vibrant vegan recipes. Kristina turned culinary training into a platform for flavorful vegan food.
spabettie / Kristina Sloggett participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.