Roasted Goat Cheese Stuffed Mini Peppers (Printer-friendly)
Tender roasted sweet peppers filled with creamy herbed goat cheese for a colorful Mediterranean appetizer.
# What You'll Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 18 mini sweet peppers
→ Cheese Filling
02 - 7 oz fresh goat cheese (chèvre)
03 - 2 tbsp cream cheese
04 - 1 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped
05 - 1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
06 - 1 clove garlic, minced
07 - 1 tsp lemon zest
08 - 1/4 tsp black pepper
09 - 1/4 tsp salt
→ For Roasting & Garnish
10 - 2 tbsp olive oil
11 - 1 tsp balsamic glaze (optional)
12 - Fresh herbs for garnish (optional)
# How To Make It:
01 - Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - Wash the mini peppers and slice them in half lengthwise. Remove seeds and membranes.
03 - Drizzle peppers with 1 tbsp olive oil. Arrange cut side up on the prepared baking sheet.
04 - Roast peppers for 10 minutes until they begin to soften but still hold their shape.
05 - Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix goat cheese, cream cheese, chives, parsley, garlic, lemon zest, black pepper, and salt until smooth and well combined.
06 - Cool roasted peppers slightly. Stuff each pepper half generously with the cheese mixture.
07 - Drizzle the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil over the stuffed peppers.
08 - Return to the oven and roast for another 10 minutes, or until peppers are tender and the cheese is hot and lightly golden.
09 - Remove from the oven, drizzle with balsamic glaze, and sprinkle with fresh herbs if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- These are the kind of appetizers that make people think you spent hours, when really they come together in under 40 minutes
- The sweet pepper and tangy goat cheese combo hits that perfect sweet-savory balance that keeps everyone reaching for more
02 -
- I learned the hard way that overfilling the peppers causes the cheese to melt out onto the pan, so leave just a tiny bit of room at the top
- Letting the roasted peppers cool for even 5 minutes before stuffing makes the whole process so much easier to handle
03 -
- If you have a piping bag, use it for stuffing the peppers, it is so much faster and looks neater
- Room temperature ingredients blend together more easily, so do not skip that simple step