Worms for Brains

I was amazed at how much orange peppers looked like pumpkins when you cut a face in the side. Especially if you buy them with the stems still attached. The spaghetti mixture stuffed inside is made with chicken and fajita seasoning, giving it a distinctive Spanish flare that goes wonderfully with the bell pepper. However, if you have picky little eaters, just buy a jar of marinara sauce with meat and add it to the spaghetti noodles (same idea).


Serves: 6
Start to Finish: 45 minutes
Recipe By: Worms for brains idea by Julianna Tazzia; recipe from Taste of Home Magazine

Ingredients:

6 medium sweet orange peppers
8 oz uncooked spaghetti
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips or small chunks
1 TBSP canola oil
1 small onion, sliced
1 small sweet red pepper, julienned (Usually substitute sweet green peppers for the red pepper because they are less expensive and have comparable flavors, but the red make a much prettier presentation.)
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup red taco sauce
1 envelope fajita seasoning mix (buy a good brand of fajita season. It will be used to flavor the whole recipe and you will be able to taste the lower quality in generic brands)

Directions:

1. Cook the spaghetti according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet.
3. Add chicken to skillet and cook over medium heat for 4-5 minutes on each side or until juices run clear.
4. Remove chicken and keep warm.
5. In the same skillet, saute the onion and peppers until tender.
6. Add the chicken, water, red taco sauce, and fajita seasoning; heat through.
7. Drain spaghetti; toss with chicken mixture.
8. Cut tops off peppers and set tops aside
9. Remove seeds and membranes from inside the pepper.
10. Cut a jack-o'-lantern face on one side of each pepper.
11. Spoon spaghetti and chicken mixture into peppers; replace pepper tops.