Halloween Jack -O'- Lantern Stuffed Bell Peppers

Looking for a fun and festive dinner idea for Halloween? These Halloween Jack-O'-Lantern Stuffed Bell Peppers are just the thing! Turn ordinary bell peppers into adorable little jack-o'-lanterns by carving funny faces into them and filling them with a delicious stuffing. 

I saw this clever idea with a different recipe on a wonderful blog called Carol On The Lake.  I thought it was so cute that I could not wait to try it and share my version. Thanks Carol.

My Directions: 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Wash and dry your peppers. Using a sharp pairing knife, cut off the lids, clean out the pepper, and cut out the triangle eyes. Place the peppers in a wide pyrex pan with 1/2 -3/4 cup of water or just enough to steam the peppers without boiling them or burning them. Cover the pyrex and bake for about 25- 30 minutes or until the peppers are on the soft but not mushy. Check after 20 minutes.

Instead of Carol's meat filling for the stuffed peppers, I made

a filling that is vegan and gluten-free for me. 

Tex Mex Plant-Based Filling

Ingredients

1 cup of chopped onions

1 cup of chopped bell peppers

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 can of black beans, drained 

1.5 cups of cooked rice (of your choice)

1 cup of salsa

1 teaspoon of cumin powder 

1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder 

1/2 teaspoon of salt

Optional: some like it hot- add hot sauce! 

Directions:

Saute onions, bell peppers, and garlic on a low heat in a large rimmed skillet until they are soft-stirring often. Add black beans, cooked rice, salsa, and seasonings. Cook on medium for another 5 minutes until filling is hot.

Add the filling to the softend peppers and serve. 

My Pyrex pan for steaming the peppers in a little water in the oven covered.  Check frequently to make sure you take out the peppers when firm enough to stuff. 

These easy Halloween stuffed peppers are a creative way to bring a little Halloween or fall spirit to the dinner table. They're perfect for a family dinner before heading out to trick-or-treat, or for serving when you want something a little different during the Halloween or fall season. With their silly faces and tasty filling, these edible jack-o'-lanterns are sure to bring some smiles to the table!

We really enjoyed these stuffed peppers; they were very filling and tasty. Since the bell peppers were large, I only made three- which was enough for the two of us ! We each had one and a half. 

Don't Forget to Visit Carol's Blog

For the full original meat recipe and directions, visit Carol's Blog at  Carol On The Lake.  You may even be interested in some of her other posts.  I visit her weekly.

Don't want to cook the peppers?

 They could also be used uncooked to hold carrot sticks or celery sticks for crudités at a party!!!

Getting Ready For Halloween

I'm getting in the spirit of Halloween with some photos of Halloween decorations and treats that I took in my neighborhood in the past. 

Wordless Wednesday - Halloween in the Neighborhood

I was taking a walk through my son's neighborhood and took some photos of 

Halloween decorations and some fall scenes on his street. 

Scroll down to see them all !

Happy Halloween and Fall  

How to make Pumpkin Seeds ( 3 step tutorial)

When you clean out and carve up your pumpkin for Halloween, don't discard the seeds that are inside of your pumpkin. They can be roasted up really easily and you will have a tasty nutritious snack that everyone can enjoy. 

It's pumpkin season in Bucks County, Pennsylvania (and everywhere) and families are enjoying the yearly ritual of flocking to local farms to pick out their Halloween pumpkins.

Pumpkin Farm 1 block from my house

In addition to serving as a decoration, pumpkins are really versatile.  Many varieties can be cooked and used for pies, (Gluten Free chocolate chip Pumpkin Pie Tart)  pumpkin breads ( Grain Free Banana Pumpkin loaf) )  or be eaten as a vegetable. Pumpkin is a rich source of Beta Carotene, fiber, and are low in fat and calories.

sugar pumpkins are good for pies

Did you know that those gooey stringy seeds inside of your pumpkin are actually very tasty and good for you? ( contain significant amounts of magnesium, iron, zinc, and Vitamins A, B Vitamins and Vitamin K)  The seeds can be quickly and easily removed from the inside of the pumpkin, washed, and toasted to make a crunchy, delicious and nutritious treat that even kids will love .
             

                                 


Just follow these 3 easy steps

1. Slice the top off of the pumpkin and scoop out the inner seeds. Place the seeds in a colander and wash and remove strings.  Pat dry with paper towels.

2. Spray a baking sheet with olive oil spray and spread the pumpkin seeds in a single layer. Then respray the seeds.

3. Sprinkle with salt and bake at 325 degrees for about 25 minutes, checking and moving them around after 10 minutes.

   Cool and store in an air-tight container.

Variations: Spray seeds with oil and then choose one of the following seasonings to use before baking at 325 degrees for about 25 minutes.

• sprinkle seeds with cinnamon
• Sprinkle seeds with garlic powder and salt
• Sprinkle seeds with Chipotl

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