Jack-O-Lantern Stuffed Peppers (2 ways) – a fun, delicious and healthy way to celebrate Halloween!! (Whole30, Paleo, Dairy-Free, & Gluten-Free Options)
Best Ever Jack-O-Lantern Stuffed Peppers
Your kids are going to LOVE this!
Halloween is right around the corner and there is nothing cuter than these little jack-o-lantern stuffed peppers! Just look at them – SO CUTE!! They are actually pretty easy and the whole meal comes together in about 30 minutes. Perfect for a quick, festive meal before the Halloween festivities begin.
For this meal your kids might like playing with their food just as much as eating it 🙂
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Festive – we always love celebrating a fun holiday with a festive meal! They have a way of becoming traditions every year.
- Family friendly – your kids (well, everyone really) will love playing with this meal as much as they love the yummy flavors!
- Quick – when everyone is super excited about trick-or-treating you are going to need a quick dinner before the candy comes rolling in and this dinner achieves that in ONLY 30 minutes!
WHAT YOU WILL NEED – VERSION 1 (this version is Whole30/Paleo)
- Orange bell peppers
- Olive or avocado oil
- Garlic
- Yellow onion
- Ground turkey or ground beef
- Homemade taco seasoning
- Water
- Tomato paste
- Roma tomatoes
WHAT YOU WILL NEED – VERSION 2 (this version isn’t Whole30/Paleo)
- Orange bell peppers
- Black beans
- Rice
- I like to keep it simple and use this boxed version for the black beans and rice. Ingredients are pretty simple and its so easy.
Topping Suggestions
- Dairy-free sour cream: homemade or this store bought one
- Salsa
- Black olives
- Guacamole: we love this one!
- Diced tomatoes
- Avocado
- Cheese (Omit for Whole30; use dairy-free, goat, or regular cheese)
RECIPE FAQs
- Can you reheat stuffed peppers? – Yes, you can reheat any leftover stuffed peppers in the oven at 350 for about 15-20 minutes or in the microwave for about 2 minutes per pepper.
- Can I prep these ahead of time? – Yes, you can make the stuffed peppers and then store them in the fridge for 3-5 days before baking them in the oven.
- Do I have to cook the peppers before stuffing them? – You don’t HAVE to cook them before stuffing but if you don’t they will stay quite crisp. We highly recommended that you don’t skip the pepper cooking step!
Here are some photos of version 1 –
And version 2 –
OTHER RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE:
- Vegan Pumpkin Chili
- The BEST Classic Chili (Paleo)
- Gluten-Free Cornbread
- Dairy-Free Pumpkin Pudding
- Healthy Trail Mix Bars
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Love,
E
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Jack-O-Lantern Stuffed Peppers (2 ways)
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
Description
Jack-O-Lantern Stuffed Peppers (2 ways) – a fun way to celebrate Halloween!!
NOTE: Version 1 is Whole30/Paleo and is the main part of the recipe card. Version 2 is not Whole30/Paleo and is found in the Notes section. Enjoy!
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 large orange bell peppers
- 1 tablespoon olive or avocado oil
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 batch homemade taco seasoning
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1–2 roma tomatoes, diced
Toppings:
- dairy-free sour cream
- salsa
- black olives
- guacamole
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Prepare Jack-O-Lanterns: Take bell peppers one at a time. Lay flat on its side on a cutting board and cut off the top of the pepper as thin as you can (do not discard). Use a small paring knife to scrape/cut out the seeds and membranes from the inside of the pepper. Then use the same paring knife to carefully cut a jack-o-lantern face into the front of the pepper just like you would a pumpkin. Repeat with all peppers and set aside.
- Bake: Take a small casserole dish and spray lightly with olive oil. Place bell peppers and tops inside and bake for approximately 15-20 minutes or until peppers are cooked, but still firm.
- Cast Iron: Meanwhile, take a large cast iron skillet and bring to medium/high heat. Add olive oil and swirl to coat the pan.
- Garlic: Add garlic and let cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Onion: Add onion and cook until it reduces, about 2-3 minutes.
- Ground Turkey: Add ground turkey to the pan and allow to cook, about 5-7 minutes, or until fully cooked.
- Seasoning: Add taco seasoning, water and tomato paste; stir to combine.
- Tomatoes: Add diced tomatoes and stir to combine.
- Stuff Peppers: Taste and adjust seasoning, if desired. Take turkey mixture and stuff each pepper. Add toppings, as desired.
- Serve: Serve immediately.
Notes
- Version 2: Black Beans + Rice Option (not Whole30/Paleo): Prepare the peppers the same way, but stuff them with some black beans and rice! I just keep things easy and use this boxed version. Stuff about 1 cup of black beans and rice in each cup. Serve with diced tomatoes, avocado, cheese (dairy-free, goat or regular) and sour cream (I like this homemade version or this store-bought!).
- Dairy-Free Sour Cream: I like to make my own, but this store-bought kind is great too!
- Ground Turkey: Feel free to use ground beef if you prefer!
- Tomato Paste: I like to use these tubes of tomato paste so I don’t have to open a can only to use a couple tablespoons.
- Can you reheat stuffed peppers? – Yes, you can reheat any leftover stuffed peppers in the oven at 350 for about 15-20 minutes or in the microwave for about 2 minutes per pepper.
- Can I prep these ahead of time? – Yes, you can make the stuffed peppers and then store them in the fridge for 3-5 days before baking them in the oven.
- Do I have to cook the peppers before stuffing them? – You don’t HAVE to cook them before stuffing but if you don’t they will stay quite crisp. We highly recommended that you don’t skip the pepper cooking step!
Meagan says
Made these with some friends for a Halloween weekend dinner and they were a hit! Loved being able to play and make a delicious meal and especially love the non-meat option for our vegetarian friend. I think these will become a Halloween staple for us!
Erin says
So happy to hear that, Meagan! Thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback – I really appreciate it!