Jack-O-Lantern Couscous-Stuffed Peppers Recipe

It's always a nice idea to eat seasonally, and that goes beyond serving recently harvested produce. Mashed recipe developer Tess Le Moing shares these jack-o-lantern couscous-stuffed peppers that are sure to be an absolute hit around Halloween, or whenever you want to infuse your meal with a spooky touch. Le Moing asserts this recipe is superior to all comparable renditions and notes, "They stand out among the rest because the filling looks like a bubbling cauldron of green guts and such oozing out the poor pumpkins." Don't worry — they're also appetizing and delicious.

Le Moing also notes the recipe is easy to adapt if you want to switch up the couscous ingredients. For example, she suggests, "Add some crumbled up cooked sausage, chickpeas, or extra veggies like carrots and celery." Alternatively, she likes to serve the peppers with chicken sausages and a leafy green salad. As the peppers cook, the cut out faces might start to sag a bit, but Le Moing reassures home cooks by noting, "That's part of the Halloween spirit!"

The roasted peppers and couscous can be made ahead of time if you're planning a Halloween party, but for best results, assemble and bake them prior to serving. If you end up with leftovers, make sure to let the peppers cool entirely and store them in the fridge for a few days, reheating them in the oven (or microwave for a quick fix).

For this recipe, you'll need extra virgin olive oil, orange bell peppers, kosher salt, ground black pepper, baby spinach, fresh parsley, fresh basil, lemon zest and juice, chicken broth, pearl couscous, onion (finely chopped), and garlic cloves (minced). If desired, get unsalted butter and grated Parmesan to finish if off.

When choosing the bell peppers, Le Moing recommends picking longer ones so there's more space to cut out the face. "Also try to find peppers that have 4 nubs on the bottom instead of 3, this will make them stand better," she advises. Aside from spinach, Le Moing suggests alternatives like kale or Swiss chard to give the couscous a bold green hue.

Adjust the oven rack to upper-middle position and preheat the oven to 475 F.

Grease a 13x9-inch baking pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Cut the tops off each bell pepper.

Remove and discard the seeds and membrane inside the bell peppers.

Using a sharp knife, cut jack o'lantern faces. Discard cut out pieces.

Arrange the bell peppers and their tops in the prepared baking dish.

Brush the outsides of the bell peppers and tops with 1 tablespoon olive oil, then season with ½ teaspoon salt and pepper.

Turn the peppers cut-side down and roast until softened, about 20 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and flip the bell peppers cut-side up. Set aside until cool enough to handle.

While the peppers cool, place the spinach, parsley, basil, ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, ¼ cup chicken broth, and remaining salt and pepper into a blender.

Blend into a bright green puree, stopping to scrape down the sides when needed.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat.

Add the couscous, onion, and garlic.

Stir until the couscous is lightly toasted, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Pour in the remaining chicken broth and bring to a simmer.

Cook, uncovered, stirring often, until almost all the liquid has been absorbed, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Off heat, stir in the spinach mixture, butter, and grated Parmesan, if using.

Stuff the peppers with the green couscous.

Place the pepper tops over the couscous and serve.

These jack-o-lantern peppers are stuffed with a couscous filling, but it's not the tiny grains you may be used to. Le Moing refers to pearl couscous as "Regular couscous' larger, rounder, and bead-like cousin." Per its name, the balls are similar in size and shape to pearls, and she notes, "In this application, they look like bubbles oozing out of our jack-o-lantern!" Depending on the supply at your grocery store, you may not be able to find a bag of dried pearl couscous. Alternatively, Le Moing recommends looking for pre-seasoned box mixes and omitting the seasoning package.

"You could use regular couscous, but it won't have the same 'spooky' effect as the pearl couscous," she says. Aesthetics aside she adds, "The texture, measurements, and cook time will be different." To swap in standard couscous, she recommends using a fraction of the broth — just 1 ½ cups of chicken broth. Toast the couscous, then add the broth and bring it to a boil. "Then cover, remove the pot from the heat, and let sit for about 5 minutes until all the liquid has absorbed," she instructs. Finish by adding the green puree, butter, and Parmesan, then stuff the peppers. The result will be less chewy and fluffier, but delicious all the same.

If you're a fan of cooking your meals with a Crockpot or Instant Pot, Le Moing says, "You can use these cooking methods for ease, time, and convenience, but the green color might not be as vibrant." If that's not a deal-breaker, keep in mind that the appliance needs to be large enough to hold all the peppers, or else you'll have to cook them in batches — which may end up taking longer than simply roasting them in the oven. 

If you're going the appliance route, cut out the jack-o-lantern faces and stuff the peppers with the raw green couscous mixture. Place them in the pot (either with a steamer rack or directly on the surface), then add ½ cup of water. "For Instant Pot, secure the lid and select the Pressure Cook or Manual setting at high pressure and reduce the cook time to 5 to 6 minutes (depending on the size of your peppers)," Le Moing instructs. Once ready, release the pressure and let the steam vent, then open and serve. Meanwhile, with a Crockpot, cover the pot and cook the contents on low heat for 6 hours or high for half the time, until the peppers are tender.