Heat the oven to 375°F. Slice a lid about 1/2 inch below the stem of each of the 4 orange bell peppers, then pull out the seeds and white ribs without thinning the walls. Carve simple triangle eyes and a small jagged mouth into one side of every pepper. Brush the insides and lids with 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, then set them cut side up. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, rotating the peppers once at the 5-minute mark so they soften evenly without slumping. The edges should look slightly relaxed, and you'll start to smell that sweet roasted-pepper aroma, but the cutout features should still have crisp, sharp corners. Don't go past 12 minutes or the walls may start to sag. This quick roast softens the peppers while keeping those little jack-o'-lantern details intact.

Set a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, about 7 on a 10-dial, and add the remaining 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil. Add the diced yellow onion and cook for 3 minutes, then add 1 pound 93% lean ground turkey and break it into rough 1/2-inch crumbles. Cook 6 to 8 minutes, stirring every 60 to 90 seconds. Don't rush it. Add minced garlic, chili powder, ground cumin, kosher salt and ground black pepper for the final 60 seconds, and cook until the turkey reaches 165°F. I crowded a smaller pan once and got gray turkey, so the 12-inch skillet matters. You'll hear the moisture hiss away and smell toasted cumin as the turkey turns opaque with small golden edges. If you keep stirring nonstop, it steams instead of browning. Browning builds flavor before the moist filling ingredients go in.

Lower the heat to medium, around 5 on a 10-dial. Add 1 cup cooked long-grain brown rice, 1 cup rinsed no-salt-added black beans, 3/4 cup thawed sweet corn kernels, and 1 cup mild chunky tomato salsa to the turkey. Gently fold everything from the edges toward the center every 30 seconds for 3 to 4 minutes. You don't want to mash the grains. they should stay separate while the salsa coats the filling. Keep it gentle. For Orange Halloween Party Food, the mixture needs to be thick enough to mound so it won't leak through the carved openings. It should look glossy, hold a spoon-shaped trail for about 2 seconds, and keep those corn kernels bright yellow. Don't cook it past 5 minutes or the rice starts to dry out. Gentle folding keeps everything intact while the salsa thickens nicely around the filling.

Keep the oven at 375°F. Spoon the hot filling into the 4 pre-baked orange bell peppers, pressing it down gently and stopping about 1/2 inch below each rim. Stand the peppers upright in an 8-inch square baking dish, with their Halloween faces turned outward, and place the lids beside them. Bake Orange Halloween Party Food for 15 to 18 minutes, until the pepper walls are fork-tender and the center of the filling still reads at least 165°F. The bright orange peppers should soften into a deeper roasted shade while the filling stays nicely mounded. Don’t pack them too tightly, or the cut-out features may split. That little bit of extra space gives the steam room to escape without bursting the pepper walls.

Raise the oven to 400°F. Divide 1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar among the 4 stuffed peppers, keeping most of the cheese tucked inside the rims. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes, until it’s fully melted with a few amber spots, making sure the edges stay inside the rims and don’t cover the carved details. Let the peppers rest for exactly 5 minutes before transferring them to plates, then top each one with chopped fresh cilantro. Keep their faces turned forward. The filling will still be very hot, so don’t cut into them right away. During the rest, you’ll notice soft cheese pulling at the edges, the smell of toasted cheddar, and pepper shells that look lightly wrinkled and uneven. Skip those 5 minutes and the filling can slump out. That short, hotter finish melts the cheddar nicely without making the pepper walls too soft.