Description
Jack-O’-Lantern Stuffed Peppers are a festive and healthy Halloween treat featuring orange bell peppers carved with spooky faces and filled with a savory mixture of ground turkey, rice, black beans, and tomato sauce, topped with melted cheese. This colorful dish is perfect for a seasonal main course that’s both fun and flavorful.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables and Produce
- 8 orange bell peppers
- 2 ¼ cups diced yellow onion (about 1 large onion)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
Protein and Dairy
- 1 pound lean ground turkey
- ¾ cup shredded cheddar or Colby Jack cheese
Pantry Items
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ cups white basmati rice, cooked according to package instructions
- 15.5 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 15 ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 400 F to prepare for baking the stuffed peppers.
- Prepare Peppers: Cut the tops off the bell peppers, remove the ribs and seeds using a small paring knife, then carve jack-o-lantern faces on one side of each pepper. Place the prepared peppers upright in a lightly greased 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Sauté Onions and Garlic: Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add olive oil. Add diced onions and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until softened. Add minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly to prevent burning.
- Cook Turkey: Add the ground turkey to the skillet and cook for 5 minutes, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon or spatula until fully browned and cooked through.
- Combine Filling: Stir in the cooked rice, black beans, tomato sauce, dried oregano, dried basil, kosher salt, and black pepper. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, allowing the rice to absorb the sauce flavors. Remove the skillet from heat.
- Stuff the Peppers: Spoon a generous amount of the rice and turkey filling into each bell pepper. Top each with shredded cheese.
- Add Water and Bake: Pour 1 ½ cups of water into the bottom of the baking dish around the peppers to keep them moist. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the peppers have softened slightly.
Notes
- Ground beef or ground chicken can be substituted for the ground turkey if preferred.
- Use long-grain white rice or jasmine rice instead of basmati rice for a different texture.
- Add sautéed mushrooms or zucchini to the rice filling for extra vegetables and flavor.
- Swap black beans with another type of bean, such as pinto or kidney beans, to vary the taste.
- Italian seasoning can replace the oregano and basil for a different herb profile.
- Try pepper Jack or another shredded cheese for a spicier or different cheese flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 stuffed pepper
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 480 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg
