Jack-o’-Lantern Stuffed Peppers

These festive peppers are frightfully delish and perfect for filling tummies before all the treats!!

Halloween treats are the MOST entertaining to make. From mummy dogs to monster chocolate bark to apple & marshmallow goblins it seems the possibilities are endless to dress up your party spread.

I really love all the sweet treats, but these Jack O’ Lantern Stuffed peppers are one of my favorite savory ways to celebrate the holiday. The hardest part is choosing the face you want. I usually go with a classic jack-o-lantern, but you can get just as creative as with a pumpkin. And the great news is that even if the face gets a little wonky, it will still be spooktacular (and delicious)!!

The filling for the peppers is a simple one pan combo I’ve been making for several years: a hearty mix of shallots, sweet Italian ground sausage, farro and baby kale. It’s a combo that my whole family loves and requests often. If you haven’t had farro before, it’s a grain that has a similar texture to brown rice, but is a little chewier and nuttier.

Once the filling is done, the peppers are stuffed to the top,  sprinkled with good amounts of Parmesan cheese and baked until spooky perfection (about 30 minutes). Post-bake I also love topping with crumbled feta to add that salty tang and balance the richness of the filling.

Even though we won’t be trick or treating this year, we still plan to make it special for our kiddos. I’m hoping to make it sort of Halloween old-school carnival kind of night (pumpkin bean bag toss, cake walk perhaps?).  🙂 Whatever we end up doing, these jack-o-lanterns are the perfect pre-party meal so my kiddos can fill up on what my three year old daughter Ellie likes to call ‘grow food’.

I hope you love this recipe as much as I do friends!! Please stay safe and healthy. Happy Halloween!!!

Valerie

Jack-o'-Lantern Stuffed Peppers

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

1 hour

 

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4 orange bell peppers
• Olive Oil
• ¼ cup shallots, chopped (about 2-3 shallots)
• 1 lb. sweet Italian ground sausage
• 6 cups cooked whole farro
• 6 cups baby kale
• ¼ cup of parmesan
• ½ cup crumbled feta
• Freshly ground salt & pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper
3. In a large sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat.
4. Add shallots and saute for 2-3 minutes until softened.
5. Add the sausage, and while sautéing, break up into pieces. Sauté until sausage is fully cooked and browned (about 10 minutes).
6. Add the cooked farro, toss to combine and saute for 3-4 minutes. Add the kale leaves, toss to combine, and let cook for another 3-4 minutes.
7. Season with freshly ground salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.
8. To prepare the peppers, cut each pepper around the stem and remove to create a lid. Remove the seeds. Using a paring knife or the tip of a serrated knife, cut your favorite jack-o'-lantern face into one side of each pepper.
9. Fill the peppers with the sausage mixture and place on the baking sheet. Evenly divide the parmesan cheese over each pepper. Place the pepper tops on the baking sheet on the side of the peppers.
10. Bake for 25-30 minutes until fork tender.
11. Top each pepper with crumbled feta, place the lid back on and serve!

Notes

Whole farro (includes the entire husk & bran) requires about 30 minutes to cook, but has the strongest flavor and most fiber and nutrients. You can also substitute with semi-pearled farro (recommended, has part of the bran removed) or pearled farro (no bran). When farro is pearled, it takes less time to cook, but just keep in mind that the flavor will be milder and will have less nutrients.

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