Description
This festive Jack-O’-Lantern Stuffed Peppers recipe transforms vibrant orange bell peppers into fun Halloween-themed edible decorations. Filled with a savory mixture of lean ground turkey, aromatic onions and garlic, black beans, fluffy basmati rice, and tangy tomato sauce, these peppers are topped with melted cheddar or Colby Jack cheese for a delicious and wholesome meal perfect for the fall season or any family-friendly gathering.
Ingredients
Scale
Peppers
- 8 orange bell peppers
Filling
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 ¼ cups diced yellow onion (about 1 large onion)
- 1 pound lean ground turkey
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 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
Topping
- ¾ cup shredded cheddar or Colby Jack cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Set your oven to 400°F (200°C) to ensure it’s hot and ready for baking the stuffed peppers.
- Prepare peppers: Cut the tops off the orange bell peppers. Using a paring knife, carefully remove the ribs and seeds from inside each pepper. Next, carve jack-o’-lantern faces on one side of each pepper to create a festive look.
- Arrange peppers: Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish and place the prepared peppers upright inside it.
- Sauté aromatics: Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add olive oil, swirling to coat. Cook diced onion for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until softened. Add minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds while stirring continuously.
- Cook turkey: Add the lean ground turkey to the skillet. Cook for approximately 5 minutes, breaking apart the meat with a wooden spoon or spatula until browned and cooked through.
- Add filling ingredients: Stir in the cooked basmati rice, drained black beans, tomato sauce, dried oregano, dried basil, kosher salt, and black pepper. Continue cooking for 3-5 minutes until the rice begins to absorb the sauce. Then, remove from heat.
- Stuff peppers: Generously spoon the turkey and rice mixture into each carved bell pepper, filling them almost to the top.
- Add cheese topping: Sprinkle shredded cheddar or Colby Jack cheese evenly over the filling in each pepper.
- Add water and bake: Pour 1 ½ cups of water into the bottom of the baking dish around the peppers to help steam them while baking. Bake uncovered for 10-15 minutes until the cheese has melted and the peppers have softened slightly.
Notes
- To prepare the rice, follow the package instructions before starting this recipe to save time.
- You can substitute ground turkey with ground chicken or lean ground beef if preferred.
- Feel free to use different colored bell peppers, but orange ones create the best jack-o’-lantern effect.
- For a spicier version, add a pinch of cayenne pepper or red chili flakes to the filling mixture.
- Leftover stuffing mixture can be stored separately and used for wraps or salads.
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: 30 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 65 mg
