Inspired by Mia’s Domain
I just discovered I’ve been dreaming of making these peppers since last March when Mia’s Domain posted her lovely stuffed peppers. I was entranced with the way she did her “before” and “after” photo all in one … I had plans to try something similar, but that photo idea didn’t quite work out … but good news is the recipe DID!
Instead of mozzarella, I stuffed my peppers with a mixture of basil, goat cheese, garlic scapes and cream cheese. I considered another way of cooking them, but when I thought about how the basil goat cheese mixture would taste with the sweet peppers and marinara sauce, well, that decided it.
Perhaps you’re wondering: How on earth do you find garlic scapes in the beginning of February in South Dakota? I grew them! If you ever find a clove of garlic that is a little green when you peel it, just stick it in a pot of dirt, water it, set it by a sunny window and it will grow! As it grows, you can snip off the green tops and use them as a colorful replacement for garlic in your recipes. Keep watering the pot … they will grow back.
Oh but back to the peppers! I stuffed up 6 little peppers today, but I had a bunch of cheese mixture and peppers left … perhaps I’ll stuff peppers tomorrow, or maybe I’ll try something new. In any case, these little cheese-stuffed peppers are a midwinter’s dream come true …
I suppose you could make these with spicy peppers, , but I think these pretty sweet stuffed peppers would be an awesome alternative for those who can’t eat the spicier jalapeno poppers.
Here they are, all lovely and colorful and stuffed with yummy cheese and herbs and garlic scapes, just before I stuck them in the oven.
And then here is how they looked when they came out of the oven …
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Basil Goat Cheese Stuffed Sweet Peppers
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 29 minutes
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 1 6-oz. package goat cheese
- 4 oz. light cream cheese
- 2 – 3 Tablespoons fresh basil leaves, chopped fine
- 1 Tablespoon finely chopped garlic scapes OR 1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped fine
For the rest:
- 1/2 lb. or so of small sweet peppers
- Your favorite marinara sauce
- Ciabatta rolls, halved and toasted (or other little toasts)
Instructions
- Mix the goat cheese, cream cheese, basil and garlic scapes in a bowl until well mixed.
- Set the cheese mixture in a thin line on the cheese wrapper or a piece of waxed paper and shape it into a thin log about the width of the bottom of the peppers. Don’t worry if your log isn’t log enough to fill all the peppers — you can make more cheese logs as you go.
- Wash a few peppers, pat them dry, cut off the tops (save the top next to each pepper!), then with a small thin knife, cut out any seeds or flesh in the middle of the peppers.
- Insert a log of cheese into each pepper, and add a little more on top and smush the cheese mixture down into the pepper to fill the pepper fully. Place the pepper top back on. Repeat with the rest of the peppers. If you run out of peppers, relax knowing you’ll have some yummy cheese to spread on your crackers. If you run out of cheese, save those peppers for another use!
- Find a rimmed baking pan or oven-safe dish that will fit your peppers. Spread a layer of marinara sauce over the bottom, then arrange the peppers on the sauce.
- Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes or until the peppers are browned on top.
- To serve: Spread a bit of hot marinara on a toasted ciabatta roll (or toast), and top with one or two of the stuffed peppers. Garnish with fresh basil leaves or basil flowers, if you like.
- Enjoy while they are hot.
(… if you happen to be looking for a more “devilish” spicy hot stuffed pepper recipe, try my Blue Devil Bacon Jalapeno Poppers.)
This recipe was shared at Show & Tell Saturday, Scrumptious Sunday, Mop it Up Monday, Manic Monday, What’d you Do This Weekend? and Clever Chicks.
15 comments
They look amazing! My kinds of dinner too. =)
They are enough for a meal for a small eater! I was full after eating just those two on toast 🙂
OH WOW. I gotta share these!
Thank you Steve!
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Making these for dinner tonight! Took creative liberty with the filling. Used the Goat and Cream Cheese but added Chives and Basil pesto. The filling tasted great on crackers. Can’t wait to eat these on the toasted Chibata!
I love your twist on the cheese mixture … I bet it does taste amazing on crackers. I think you’re going to love the peppers too 🙂
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I found that I had to leave these in the oven much longer than 15 minutes. I left them in for about 30 minutes before using the broiler. Once I turned on the broiler it only took about 3 more minutes. Other than that they are good!
how big were your peppers? I’m guessing they must have been larger than mine? That would account for the cooking time. I’m glad they turned out good, anyway.
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