Jack-o'-Lantern Stuffed Peppers

Jack-o'-lanterns began as carved faces meant to glow on Halloween night, and these stuffed peppers borrow that playful spirit. Orange bells are hollowed into grinning faces, then filled with seasoned turkey, rice, and tomatoes for a festive American dinner.

Serves 4 · 20 min prep · 45 min cook

Estimate for one serving

• 410 cal
• 32g protein
• 28g carbs
• 18g fat
• 3g fiber

Every recipe here is free to read.

Ingredients

• 4 large orange bell peppers
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 small, diced yellow onion
• 3, minced garlic cloves
• 1.5 cups cooked rice
• 1 can (14.5 oz), drained canned diced tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella
• 2 tbsp, chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

1. 1Preheat the oven to 375°F. Slice the tops off the orange bell peppers and scoop out seeds and membranes. Using a small paring knife, carefully cut simple jack-o'-lantern faces into one side of each pepper.
2. 2Brush the outside and inside of the peppers lightly with olive oil and stand them upright in a 9x13-inch baking dish.
3. 3Heat the remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook until soft and golden, about 4 minutes.
4. 4Add the minced garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Crumble in the ground turkey and cook, stirring, until browned and cooked through, 7 to 8 minutes.
5. 5Stir in the cooked rice, drained diced tomatoes, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and black pepper. Cook 3 to 4 minutes until heated through and slightly thickened.
6. 6Spoon the turkey-rice filling generously into each prepared pepper, packing it gently. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella evenly over the tops.
7. 7Pour water into the bottom of the baking dish to create steam. Cover the dish loosely with foil.
8. 8Bake covered at 375°F for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 10 to 12 minutes until the peppers are tender, cheese is melted and bubbly, and edges look lightly golden.
9. 9Let the stuffed peppers rest 5 minutes out of the oven so the filling sets. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley for color contrast against the orange peppers.
10. 10Serve whole so the jack-o'-lantern faces show, perfect as a playful main for Halloween dinner tables.