Vegan stuffed peppers with adorable jack-o-lantern faces make for a fun and festive Halloween meal for both kids and adults!

Jack-O-Lantern Vegan Stuffed Peppers

Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Mexican, Vegetarian
Keyword: Fall, Halloween, Kid-friendly, Party, Vegan
Cooking Method: One Dish Meals
Condition: Cancer, Dairy Free, Diabetes, Gluten Free, PCOS, Vegetarian
Servings: 4 people
Cost: $17.36

Ingredients

  • 4 bell pepper orange
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 medium onion diced
  • 5 oz mushroom shitake, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 15-oz can canned tomatoes diced
  • 1 15-oz can canned tomatoes sauce
  • 9 oz lentils Melissa's steamed
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 cup cashew queso store bought or homemade

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400° F.
  • Cut tops off peppers (save these) and scoop out seeds and membranes. Using a paring knife, carefully cut out a jack-o-lantern face in each side of the peppers. Place peppers in a square baking dish with 1/4 cup water in the bottom. Cover with foil and place in oven and bake for about 15 minutes.
  • In a large sauté pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and mushroom and cook until softened. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute, until fragrant. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, lentils, salt, chili powder, cumin, and paprika. Bring to a simmer until heated through, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
  • Remove foil from baking dish and spoon lentil mixture into each pepper until full. Top with pepper lid and cover loosely with foil. Return to oven for 20 minutes, until heated through and peppers are soft.
  • Serve peppers with cashew queso. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 11g | Sodium: 675mg | Potassium: 581mg | Fiber: 12g

Please note:

Nutrition info is approximate and may contain errors. 

Vegan stuffed peppers is an adorable way to have a holiday food that is both delicious and doubles as a Halloween decoration.  We love Halloween and actually have a blog with tons of inspiration for celebrating Halloween with some clever recipes that will certainly please a crowd.  Here is a blog with 5 Halloween themed vegan recipes

Halloween does not have to focus on candy. Instead it can focus on fun and spooky treats including:

Here is another blog with Halloween inspiration recipes and ideas.

For more tips of surviving the Halloween season without gaining weight, take a look at this blog that addresses this issue and more.
I typically hear that people buy Halloween candy 3-4 times each year. I am amazed at how easy it is to buy Halloween candy. The stores are filled with holiday candy for weeks before Halloween. Can you purchase your candy on October 30th or even better, on Halloween day? So many times, I hear that people buy Halloween candy at least three times each season, often the candy gets eaten and needs to be repurchased closer to Halloween

An award winning recipe developer, Dietitian Kaitlin’s mission is to empower others to reach their health goals by encouraging them to get back into the kitchen. Co-author of Nourished: 10 Ingredients to Happy, Healthy Eating and Cooking with Diabetes.