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    Recipes » Entrées » Halloween Stuffed Peppers

    Halloween Stuffed Peppers

    Published: Oct 24, 2017 · Modified: Sep 11, 2020 by Kate Shungu · This post may contain affiliate links

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    orange bell peppers carved into a jack o lantern on a black plate.
    orange bell peppers carved into a jack o lantern on a black plate.
    orange bell peppers carved into a jack o lantern on a black plate.
    orange bell peppers carved into a jack o lantern on a black plate.

    orange bell pepper carved into a jack o'lantern on a black plate.

    Growing up, there was so much excitement surrounding Halloween. Figuring out my costume and the best route for trick-or-treating consumed the weeks before October 31.

    Now, I prefer to spend my time crafting a festive menu to celebrate. And these Halloween Stuffed Peppers are the perfect dinner before the trick-or-treaters arrive.

    My all-time favorite costume as a kid was dressing up as a picnic. It figures that it was centered around food!

    I hung a plastic red checkered tablecloth from two dowel rods across my shoulders, and hot glued paper plates and plastic food to the front. I affixed a few plastic ants near the food, and carried a picnic basket to collect candy.

    As I went from house to house, there were several women who exclaimed in delight at my creativity and made me pose for a photo. I might have gotten a little extra candy out of them, too!

    My brother and I always ate dinner before trick-or-treating. I’m guessing my mom was trying to fill us up so we wouldn’t eat too much candy afterward. These Halloween Stuffed Peppers are the perfect meal to feed hungry kiddos (and adults) before the fun begins.

    orange bell pepper carved into a jack o'lantern on a black plate with more carved peppers behind it.

    Ingredients

    • You’ll need 4 large orange bell peppers. Purchase peppers that sit nicely on a countertop, otherwise you can trim a little off the bottom to get a flat surface.
    • Ground turkey adds lots of protein. You can use dark or light meat ground turkey.
    • The base of the stuffing is rice and corn. Any long grain white rice works well.
    • Onion, salsa, jalapeño, and cumin add flavor to the stuffing mixture.
    • A Mexican blend cheese completes the peppers.

    How to carve jack o’lanterns into bell peppers

    You’ll want to carve the peppers before cooking, and even before cutting the top off. Otherwise, they’ll be too soft or flimsy.

    I used my sharpest paring knife and it took about 15 minutes to carve four peppers once I had the technique down.

    To carve the peppers, use a pen to draw your desired shapes onto the bell peppers. Then, use a paring knife to carve on the outside of the pen markings.

    raw orange peppers with jack o'lanterns cut into them on a wooden board.

    You could also use a pen with edible ink (they’re fun for decorating fondant or confections made with candy melts, too. And they make colored ink versions!).

    Or if you’re really talented, you could just carve them freehand!

    Discard the pieces that you’ve cut out, and the peppers are ready for stuffing!

    Cooking the peppers

    Place the carved peppers in a microwave safe dish and fill the bottom with a thin layer of water. The water will help the peppers steam—no need to put a lid on the dish.

    Microwave the peppers for 4–5 minutes, or until nearly soft. The peppers will lose a little bit of their vibrant color, but that’s ok—they will still be orange!

    Filling the peppers

    1. While you are carving the peppers, cook the rice according to package directions.
    2. Sauté the onion and jalapeño in olive oil, then add the ground turkey and sauté until cooked through.
    3. Add the cumin, salt, salsa, cooked rice, corn, and half of the cheese. Stir to combine.
    4. Fill the peppers with the stuffing, dividing it evenly among the 4 peppers.
    5. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top, then bake for 5–7 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.

    orange stuffed peppers on a white platter on top of a black cobweb placemat.

    FAQs

    Can I make these stuffed peppers vegetarian?
    Yes! Instead of ground turkey, add one can of rinsed and drained black beans. They fit perfectly with the southwestern flavors. You could also just omit the ground turkey.

    Can I make these with ground beef?
    Yes! Use 1 pound of ground sirloin (90% lean) instead of the ground turkey.

    orange bell pepper carved into a jack o'lantern on a white platter.

    For a side dish, this winter fruit salad is a great pairing for the peppers.

    I hope your little ghouls and goblins (or your big ghouls and goblins) enjoy these! If you make them, tag me on Facebook or Instagram so I can see!

    orange bell peppers carved into a jack o lantern on a black plate.

    Jack O'Lantern Southwestern Stuffed Peppers

    Published by Kate
    Choose between ground turkey or black beans to fill these festive bell peppers carved into jack o'lanterns. 
    5 from 1 vote
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    Prep Time 20 mins
    Cook Time 22 mins
    Total Time 42 mins
    Course Entree
    Cuisine Southwestern
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories 449 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 4 large orange bell peppers
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • ½ yellow onion chopped
    • 1 lb ground turkey (OR one (15oz) can black beans, rinsed & drained)
    • 1 jalapeño, diced
    • ½ teaspoon cumin
    • ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling into peppers
    • ⅔ cup salsa
    • 1½ cups cooked rice (this is approximately ½ cup uncooked)
    • ½ cup canned corn, drained
    • 1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese, divided
    • To garnish: chopped cilantro

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 350°F.
    • Rinse and dry bell peppers. Carve jack o’lantern faces into each bell pepper using a sharp paring knife. I used a pen to draw the shapes first, and then cut on the outside of the markings with the paring knife. If you’re more talented than I am, you could also cut them freehand.
    • Cut ½ to ¾ of an inch off the top of each bell pepper. Set aside the tops. Carefully clean the ribs and seeds out of each pepper. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
    • Place the peppers in a 8x8 inch glass baking dish and replace the top of each pepper. Put ½ inch of water in the bottom of the baking dish and microwave on high for 4–5 minutes, until the peppers are almost tender.
    • Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, jalapeño, and turkey (or black beans). Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent and the turkey is cooked through, about 6–7 minutes.
    • Add the cumin, salt, salsa, cooked rice, corn, and half of the cheese. Stir to combine. Cook for 2–3 minutes, or until the mixture is hot throughout.
    • Drain the water from the dish with the bell peppers. Divide the rice mixture evenly among the bell peppers. Divide the remaining ½ cup cheese between the tops of the peppers.
    • Bake for 5–7 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the peppers are warm throughout. Replace the top on each pepper, sprinkle with cilantro, and serve.

    Notes

    Use an edible ink pen to trace the faces first, if you wish! 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 449kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 32gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 111mgSodium: 906mgPotassium: 702mgFiber: 4gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 4239IUVitamin C: 158mgCalcium: 239mgIron: 2mg
    Keyword jack o'lantern peppers, southwestern peppers
    Tried this recipe?Follow me at @giftofhospitality and let me know how you liked it!

    This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for reading GiftofHospitality.com and helping me to provide quality content.

    « Lebanese Lemon Lentil Soup
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    kate

    About Kate

    I’m a believer, wife, mom, and big fan of old cookbooks. I live in Chicago with my husband and two young sons. I love discovering old fashioned recipes that will transport you back in time! Read more...

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Stine Mari says

      October 25, 2017 at 3:20 am

      I absolutely love these! So cute. I definitely need to try them out this weekend. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Kate Shungu says

        October 25, 2017 at 10:21 am

        Thanks so much, Stine Mari! Hope you enjoy them!

        Reply

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