Jack-o-Lantern Stuffed Peppers

These jack-o-lantern stuffed peppers are quite the treat, and they’ll be the talk of your Halloween dinner party since they’re so simple, yet impressive. I love this main dish because it provides your protein and veggie all in one, so you don’t really need a salad to round it out. This recipe calls for turkey or beef, but you could easily use this vegetarian quinoa mix if you are omitting meat.

If you need something quickly, Costco also offers pretty peppers that are already stuffed; all they need is baking. Tip: they usually come in a trio of red, orange and yellow, so you’ll need to purchase extra orange peppers separately.

Ingredients

• 6 large orange peppers
• 1 lb ground turkey or beef
• ¹⁄₂ cup chopped yellow onion
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• 16 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
• 1 cup cooked long-grain rice 
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cut off the top about an inch down from the stem, scoop out the innards and take a paring knife to make the jack-o-latern cut-outs.
3. In a skillet over medium heat, cook the turkey or beef, onion and garlic until evenly brown. Drain.
4. Mix in the tomatoes and tomato paste, and season with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper and chili flakes.
5. Add rice and cheese to meat mixture.
6. Stuff the peppers with the skillet mixture.
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until cheese is melted. 
8. Place the tops on the peppers and serve!