Viral Jack-O’-Lantern Stuffed Bell Peppers

Scary Food Fun for Halloween:  Who knew you could combine scary, fun, and super tasty in one Halloween pumpkin patch of bell peppers?  

Jack-o-lantern stuffed peppers! This recipe is a perfect combination of carb careful ingredients and fall flair.  Savory shredded chicken, sautéed mushrooms, and fall spices cozy up inside a bell pepper carved with a spooky face.  You can do scary too, but you will want to eat it fast.   It’s a balanced meal that packs a protein punch, with just the right amount of Halloween. Perfect for a spooktacular Halloween-themed get-together to serve for family dinner.

Let’s dive into how to make these delicious stuffed peppers that are as fun to look at as they are to eat!

Ingredients You’ll Need For Your Stuffed Bell Peppers

The great thing about stuffed bell peppers is the many ways to make them. Typically, they are filled with ingredients such as ground beef, rice, tomatoes, and cheese. I’ve engineered this recipe with chicken and mushrooms to give it a punch of protein and keep it low-carb.

  • Bell Peppers: Orange peppers are best to get the jack-o’-lantern look, but just like pumpkins in real life there are many options. Feel free to use yellow peppers as well for a more vibrant look, or save a quick buck by just getting all green.
  • Shredded Chicken: If using raw, breast meat is best for this. However, you can use precooked Costco or Walmart chicken to shred.  It is a great way to make this recipe quick and new chef-safe.  You don’t want to be scared of undercooked chicken for this party favorite.
  • Minced Garlic: I never make a recipe without at least a bit of garlic. It’s a great ingredient to round out all the flavors together.
  • Onion: Mixed with garlic, onions become very aromatic and a staple for more recipes.
  • Baby Bella Mushrooms: Mushrooms are a great, nutrient way to bulk up the protein of a recipe. Baby Bella is my recommendation since it has an Earthy flavor that mixes well with any type of meat. If you chop if small enough, even the pickiest of eaters won’t be able to tell you’ve snuck them in!
  • Seasoning: To give your bell peppers a nice kick use a mixture of cumin, chili powder, and paprika. Don’t forget salt and pepper to taste!
  • Canned Diced Tomatoes: To make cooking even easier and give depth to your filling, add in canned diced tomatoes. For extra spice, get a brand mixed with green chilies.
  • Pre-Cooked Rice: Use the rice to help bulk up the filling. If you want to cut carbs even more you should pre-cook the rice, let cool in the refrigerator, and then add back into the pan when cooking. This heating-cooling process is documented to help cut the overall carb load of certain foods.
  • Tomato Paste: Tomato paste is used to thicken the liquid from the diced tomatoes.
  • Shredded Mozzarella: Add low-fat mozzarella cheese sprinkled on top for a perfect finish!
Ingredients on a counter that include bell peppers, baby bella mushrooms, shredded mozzarella, tomato paste, canned diced tomatoes, onion, and various spices.

Tips and Tricks

  • You should in no way cook bell peppers before stuffing them! Cooking the bell peppers softens them too much to be filled. The cooking time in the recipe is more than enough for the peppers to cook all the way through.
  • Use a small, sharp pairing knife to cut the faces. Try out different faces, from jagged teeth to scared expressions. Bell peppers are very forgiving with your carving.
  • After cutting off the tops, place them back on top of the stuffed peppers for the first round of cooking. After taking the peppers out, remove the tops and save them for display. Guests and kids will get a kick out of the green stem on their jack-o’-lanterns!
  • If you like to meal prep make each part of this recipe and store it separately. You can pre-cut peppers and store them in a zip-top container. Cook stuffing ingredients in your skillet and then store in a Tupperware. When it’s time to cook, stuff your peppers, and put them in oven. It’s great for those nights when you’re just too busy to start a meal from scratch.
@diabeticdadman

What I eat to lower my blood sugar. With Halloween coming up my daughter wanted to take a crack at these jack o lantern bell peppers she’s seen around TikTok, so I let her film a video! In this household we love fall and the spooky season, but it can be hard not being able to eat all the yummy treats my family gets to. My daughter has modified this comfort food recipe to be diabetic friendly: low carb and high in protein. In fact, each bell pepper is only 14g of carbs (mostly fiber) and 39g of protein. Let me know if you want to see more recipes that my family and I make to lower my blood sugar (and maybe some treats that are worth taking a few more units of insulin for.) #halloween #fallrecipes #bellpepper #recipe #diabeticfriendly #insulinresistance #dinnerideas

♬ Fall October Halloween horror classic(177261) – rareNote

Jack-O’-Lantern Stuffed Bell Peppers

Orange bell peppers cut and stuffed with chicken, onions, mushrooms, rice, and topped with cheese make a spooky low-carb meal just in time for Halloween!
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 6 orange bell peppers
  • 2 cups shredded chicken
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 white onion diced
  • 14.5 oz canned diced tomatoes
  • 1 cup pre-cooked rice
  • 8 oz baby bella mushrooms diced
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup low-fat mozzarella
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 375.
  • Heal oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic to cook, stirring occasionally, until softened. Meanwhile, cut the top off each bell pepper and scoop out seeds. With a sharp paring knife, cut jack-o'-lantern faces onto one side of each pepper. Set asid.
  • To skillet, add shredded chicken, spices, mushrooms, diced tomatoes, and tomato paste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through, about 5 – 7 minutes. Add rice and stir until heated through, about 2 – 3 minutes.
  • Stuff peppers lightly with chicken stuffing and place them into a greased 11 x 17 baking dish. You may need to lean the peppers against each other to keep them standing.
  • Cover the baking dish with foil and until peppers are softened, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and take off foil. Sprinkle mozzarella over top of bell peppers and return to oven to bake until cheese is melted, about 5 – 10 minutes.
  • Serve immediately.

Notes

Topping the bell peppers with the cut-off top before cooking is optional; do so if you want to give your jack-o’-lantern a more pumpkin-like appearance, but do not re-cover before cooking peppers a second time. Place tops to the side to use when serving. 
Each stuffed bell pepper in this recipe contains 39g protein, 14g carbs, and 9g fat. 
Keyword autumn, bell pepper, chicken, dinner, easy, fall, family friendly, halloween, kid friendly, low carb

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