Jack-O-Peppers

Isn't he cute?

Today is Halloween—in our circle of friends, we focus more on the Reformation than on ghosts and goblins, but it's still fun to carve pumpkins and dress up in silly costumes. This year I'm showing up as a mom who doesn't get enough sleep. (I'll bet that's most of you too!).

This morning my older daughter said she wanted to prepare a Halloween-themed meal for dinner. She tossed out a few ideas (make spaghetti and pretend that the pasta is worms and the sauce is blood), but that REALLY didn't sound like something I'd want on my table. But we like stuffed peppers, so I suggested that perhaps we could carve faces in orange bell peppers, and so the idea of "Jack-O-Peppers" was born.

Carb Diva's Jack-O-Peppers (makes 4)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
• 1/2 pound sweet Italian turkey sausage
• 1 cup jarred marinara sauce
• 4 orange bell peppers
• grated Parmesan cheese (for garnish)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cook the orzo according to package directions. Drain, rinse, and set aside. 
3. Cook the turkey sausage over medium heat in a large saute pan, breaking it up as it cooks, until crumbled and no more pink remains—about 10 minutes. Stir in the cooked orzo and marinara sauce.
4. If you want to go with the Halloween theme, carve "jack-o-lantern" faces in your orange peppers. Next gently cut and remove the tops and shake out the seeds. Stuff the peppers with the sausage/orzo mixture.
5. Place the stuffed peppers in a baking dish. Pour water into the dish to about 1/2 inch up the sides of the peppers. Place the peppers in the preheated oven and bake for about 1 hour. Garnish the top of each pepper with parmesan cheese.