Pumpkin Crepes with Sweet Italian Sausage Filling

I know it's going to be a relaxing Saturday when I wake up craving crepes. Since it is finally feeling like autumn here in Houston I wanted to try something with a little seasonal flare . . . (drumroll) . . . pumpkin crepes! Don't panic. They sound difficult only because they are french, but they are super easy!

There are about a million things you could fill pumpkin crepes with - and Nutella is a fail-proof option even for these (remember how much you love pumpkin chocolate chip cookies - these are just fancier because they are french). I also considered some kind of a carmel-pecan filling, which would be amazing if my husband liked pecans. But ultimately I decided to go with a savory crepe and do sweet peppers, onions, and italian sausage. Mmm. Mmm. We were not disappointed.

Here's what you'll need:

For the Crepes:

3/4 c. milk

1 egg

1/2 c. flour

1/3 c. pumpkin

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

For the Filling:

1 Tbsp. butter or olive oil

1/2 of a large yellow onion

4-5 small sweet peppers (multi-color) (or you can use bell peppers if you can't find these)

1/2 lb. italian sausage

1/2 tsp. fennel seeds

First, combine the milk, egg, flour, pumpkin, and cinnamon in your mixer, mix until smooth.

Next, pour a little batter onto a hot greased round non-stick frying pan. I use a measuring cup to limit the amount I pour in. You'll have to roll the frying pan around to distribute the batter evenly. Try to use a pan with a flat portion the size of the crepes you want because that will be the only thing keeping them round. I still don't make perfectly round crepes, but your first few will probably be pretty crazy shapes. Who cares!? They still taste amazing. If you are having a fancy dinner party you may have to practice a little. Ultimately it should look something like this and you should cook it over medium/low heat just until it starts to bubble in the middle and get loose around the edges (kind of like pancakes do), probably no more than a minute. I have a long flat spatula that I found at Ikea and I just stand over my crepe and go around the edges with the spatula until it starts to come off the pan. Flip it to the other side and cook 20-30 more seconds. Remove it and start over with the next one. You'll be standing next to the stove through the whole process - don't go far!

While you are standing there cooking your crepes, you can get started on the next step - the filling. Thinly slice half of a yellow onion and 4-5 small sweet peppers or bell peppers (whatever you can find at the store). Place them in a frying pan with 1-2 Tbsp. butter or olive oil and cook over medium/low heat until the onions begin to carmelize.

Once the onions begin to carmerlize and the peppers are softening, add 1/2 lb. italian sausage and cook fully.

Finally, fill the crepes . . .

Fold them and garnish with cilantro. I also sprinkled some carmelized nuts on these to give them an added salty/sweet contrast. Delicious! Happy crepe-making!

-Megan