Stuffed Bell Pepper Jack-o'-lanterns
MAKES: serving
Ingredients
1 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1 lb ground chicken or turkey
1/2 cup onion, diced
1/2 cup yellow pepper, diced
1/2 lb spinach
1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice (measured after cooking)
Sea salt & pepper to taste
Garlic powder to taste
Dried sage to taste
3 large or 6 small orange bell peppers
1/2 cup white cheddar cheese, shredded
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°
Add 1/2 Tbsp oil to a pan and cook the meat until it is no longer pink. Drain excess fat and set aside.
In the same pan, heat the remaining 1/2 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and yellow peppers. Cook until tender, then add spinach. Cover and let spinach cook until it wilts.
Turn the heat off. Add meat mixture and cooked rice to the pan. Stir gently to combine. Season to taste. Set aside.
Cut around the stem of each pepper to create a lid. Carefully remove the seeds from inside the peppers. If they don't sit flat, trim the bottoms slightly; (be careful not to cut a hole in the bottoms). Using the tip of a small knife, cut a Jack o'Lantern face into the side of each pepper.
Fill each pepper with the mixture and evenly divide the cheese over each pepper.
Place peppers on a parchment-lined baking sheet (place lids on the side so they cook also). Bake until fork-tender, 20-30 minutes depending on size and thickness of peppers. Start checking at 15 minutes - the lids may need to be removed before the peppers are fully cooked.
Remove from oven. Cool some before serving.