Temperatures are dropping and the days are becoming shorter, so for us, it means the slow cooker has come out of the dark depths of the cupboard. We’re trying out a variety of savoury dishes for Halloween, a season not normally known for its savoury foods, but I want to have some options available, at least! 
For this recipe, I’ve used yellow peppers. I didn’t realise until I was cleaning them out that one of the peppers only had two humps on the apex, rather than three, which meant it couldn’t stand on its own. Undeterred, I just cut a small layer off, not so much that the bottom of the pepper was opened up – just enough to make it stand up straight.
Cutting faces in a pepper is a whole lot easier than it is on a pumpkin. Simply use a sharp knife and carefully pop the cutout parts out. 
You can use any filling you like, really. I’ve used a chicken and tomato one. If you want to stretch this meal, add some rice or couscous to the pepper. Alternatively, serve each pepper on a bed of rice. I didn’t bother in this particular meal. 
Once stuffed, I felt the peppers could use a bit of help to stand out a little, so I used a finger to pop some homemade tomato sauce into the eyes and mouths of the peppers.
I love the way the chicken and tomato looks a bit like brains, topping off the Halloween face. It’s simple, and quite effortless and very tasty!
Slow Cooked Chicken and Tomato Stuffed Peppers Recipe
- 500g skinless, boneless chicken
- 1 tin of tomatoes
- 30ml (2tbs) dark soy sauce
- 15ml (1tbs) balsamic vinegar
- 5ml (1tsp) dried or fresh chopped rosemary
- 5ml (1tsp) salt
- 5 fresh tomatoes
- 4 yellow peppers
- For Halloween Faces, you'll also need a little tomato sauce
- Serve with rice or other grain if you are so inclined.
- Turn a slow cooker on low for 6 hours
- Add chicken, canned tomatoes, soy sauce, vinegar, rosemary and salt , put the lid in place.
- With an hour to go, add the fresh tomatoes
- With 30 minutes to go, remove the lid so the sauce can thicken a little
- After six hours, cut the top off the peppers and remove the seeds. (If you're making Halloween faces, do that now too)
- Stuff the pepper, and using a clean spoon or finger, fill the eyes and mouth with tomato sauce.
Find more Halloween recipes here