Jack-o'-Lantern Stuffed Peppers

Halloween is around the corner and I couldn’t be more excited. According to lore, Halloween (or formerly Hallows’ Eve) represented a time when the ghosts of the dead would come back to earth. People feared that if you left your house, you might come across one of these ghosts; so to avoid being recognized, people would wear masks to blend in with the disembodied spirits.

These days, Halloween is a much more family-friendly event, filled with creative and playful costumes, pumpkins on doorsteps, haunted houses, and plenty of festive treats. And I don’t know about you, but I usually associate this holiday with heaps of sugar. Chocolate bars, toffees, candies, you name it. It’s enough sugar to make my teeth hurt just thinking about it – and to get the kids really bouncing off the walls! Thank goodness it only comes around once a year…

 

Jack-o'-Lantern Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients

  • 4 medium orange bell peppers
  • 2 tsp. olive oil
  • 1 lb. raw 93% lean ground turkey
  • ½ medium onion, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 Tbsp. chili powder
  • ½ tsp. ground cumin
  • Ground black pepper (to taste; optional)
  • 1 (8-oz.) can tomato sauce, no sugar added
  • 1 cup black beans, drained, rinsed
  • 1 cup cooked brown rice
  • ¼ cup water
  • ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Instructions

  1. Slice stem end off peppers. (Reserve for later use.) Remove seeds and veins from peppers. Cut a jack-o-lantern face out of one side of each pepper. Stand peppers upright in baking dish. Set aside.
  2. Preheat oven to 400º F.
  3. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
  4. Add turkey; cook, stirring frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until almost browned.
  5. Add onion; cook, stirring frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until onion is translucent.
  6. Add garlic; cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute.
  7. Add chili powder, cumin, pepper (if desired), tomato sauce, and beans; cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
  8. Add rice; mix well.
  9. Fill peppers with turkey mixture. Top with reserved stem end of peppers Add water to the baking dish. Cover with foil.
  10. Bake peppers for 12 to 15 minutes, or until tender-crisp.
  11. Remove stem top of peppers, sprinkle evenly with cheese. Bake for 2 to 3 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
  12. Replace tops and serve.