Goat Cheese Stuffed Baby Peppers
You’re walking past the produce section of your local grocery store and a bag of sweet baby peppers catch your eye. You look at their pretty rainbow colors, think about what you could them, and then decide they’ll spoil before you can use them. It’s a usual scenario for me especially when I’m preparing meals for two and we don’t have a freezer, only the one in the refrigerator which is tiny to begin with (the price one pays for an ice maker). I grabbed the bag anyway…I’m a sucker for pretty-looking produce! I roasted some of the peppers and added them to a sausage and quinoa polenta dish. The remainder were used in this dish. We enjoy cheese of all sorts – well not the ones with fruit added (yuck!). Goat cheese is so versatile and perfect to use with baby peppers. For this recipe, try using a goat cheese log (chèvre) which is soft and spreadable. A super easy appetizer to make over and over again!
Serves 2 to 4
1/2 package baby bell peppers
goat cheese log
handful fresh mint, chopped
handful fresh parsley, chopped
pinch of chili pepper flakes
1 tablespoon minced garlic
good quality balsamic vinegar (optional)
olive oil
Preheat oven to 375f.
In a small bowl, mix goat cheese, herbs, chili pepper flakes and add a splash of olive oil. The oil helps to make the cheese more spreadable.
Slice peppers lengthwise, clear seeds and any white membrane. In the cavity of each pepper add a drop or two of balsamic vinegar. Use a small spoon to fill the peppers with the herbed goat cheese. Bake 20 minutes or until cheese has melted and lightly browned. If you like, use the broiler in your oven to finish off the browning process but keep an eye on it as it will brown quickly.
The Culinary Chase’s Note: Skip the herbs and add a tablespoon or more of homemade pesto to the goat cheese. Enjoy!