Healthy Jack o’Lantern Stuffed Peppers Your Kids Will Love
It’s such a mom-thing to try and make a healthy dinner on Halloween, right? Well, you can at least make it cute! These Jack o’Lantern Stuffed Peppers are packed with lean protein and a whole serving of veggies. And they’re actually pretty simple to make. Let’s get started!
The following post may contain affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra charge to you. To learn more about this, please visit my Disclaimer page. Thank you for your continued support!
This is going to be a quick and easy recipe. All you need is a bell pepper for each person, some ground turkey, italian seasoning, egg, and breadcrumbs. For tools, you just need a spoon and a pretty decently sharp paring knife.
Carving a Bell Pepper into a Jack o’Lantern
Take your bell peppers, and start by removing the top like you would a pumpkin. Carve down into your pepper at an angle. You can also just take the top straight off, but the angle makes it feel more pumpkin-y.
Use your spoon to scoop out the seeds and the ribs. See? This is already just like carving a pumpkin! Then, just use your knife to cut out a tiny little face. Keep it simple with triangle eyes and a nose, and a simple mouth.
Letting Your Kids Carve Their Peppers
It’s entirely up to you if you want your kids to carve their own peppers. If they are masters at carving pumpkins, and you feel good about their knife skills, this is a softer medium to work with.
However, note that it takes a finer hand to cut a little bitty face into a pepper. This is also not the place to get fancy and to a big open design because your stuffing will leak out. It won’t look pretty cooked.
Just keep it simple.
Flavoring Your Stuffed Peppers
I, personally, think the seasoning of your stuffed peppers is highly subjective, and you can literally do whatever you want.
For this recipe, I’m recommending Italian herbs to flavor, but last year, we did our Jack o’Peppers with taco seasoning, and the year before that, I did 21 Seasoning Salute from Trader Joe’s.
So, just know that my recipe is adaptable to your flavor preferences. This is another opportunity to let your kids make their peppers their own. Portion out their ground turkey and let them season it themselves.
Remember the importance of washing your hands after handling raw meat and eggs!
What to Serve with Your Peppers
This year, I thought our stuffed Jack o’Lantern peppers would go well with some pesto spaghetti. If that sounds good, try some kale pesto and whole wheat pasta from Bon Appetit. Call it “zombie’s brains,” and make it more exciting for your little ones.
If you do go the taco seasoning route, I have a nice taco pasta salad that will tie right in. Break out the sugar skulls to theme the tablescape, put on Coco, and have a family discussion about Dia de Muertos!
Keeping Your Kids Interested in Making Healthy Food
And, if your kids really respond to making their own dinners and learning more about a different culture, you might want to try Raddish Kids. You get a box every month with recipes, conversation cards, lessons, kitchen tools for kids, and a commemorative patch.
I did a review of their boxes here, and it was so much fun, even with a not-quite two-year-old. This month, the Halloween recipes included mummy enchiladas and spooky corn dip. They also had a bonus recipe for ghostly dipped strawberries. It’s only $20 a month, and it’s so worth it.
This recipe is really easy and really fun. If your kids love to help in the kitchen, this is a good recipe to bring out for Halloween dinner. If you’re like us, this year, trick or treating is the wrong kind of scary. So, we’re staying home with the porch light off and making our own fun at home.
Comment below, and share what you’re doing for Halloween this year! Don’t forget to subscribe for weekly updates and your very own free meal planning worksheet.
Jack o’Lantern Stuffed Bell Peppers
Equipment
- Glass 9×9 pan
- Aluminum Foil
- Large mixing bowl
- Paring knife
- Spoon
Ingredients
- 4 large orange bell peppers choose ones that can stand upright
- 1 pound lean ground turkey
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup onion finely chopped
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp pink himalayan sea salt
- 2 Tbsp water for steam
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
- Carve the tops of your bell peppers so they can be placed back on for baking. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and ribs. Shake out any leftover seeds.
- Carefully, cut out two triangles for eyes, one triangle for a nose, and whatever shape mouth you like using a sharp paring knife.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine lean ground turkey, eggs, breadcrumbs, onion, and seasonings. Using your hands works best, but a spoon is fine if you don't want to touch it.
- Spoon ¼ of the mixture into each pepper and pack it in, careful it doesn't squish out the face.
- Place the tops back on the peppers. Place them in your casserole dish with 2 Tablespoons of water in the bottom of the dish, and cover with foil. Bake for 1 hour.
- Serve with spaghetti and/or salad for a full veggie-tastic meal.
