Roasted Goat Cheese Peppers (Printable Version)

Sweet mini peppers roasted and filled with creamy herbed goat cheese for a warm Mediterranean appetizer.

# What You Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 16 mini sweet peppers

→ Cheese Filling

02 - 5 oz fresh goat cheese (chèvre)
03 - 2 tbsp cream cheese, softened
04 - 1 garlic clove, finely minced
05 - 2 tbsp fresh herbs, chopped (parsley, chives, or basil)
06 - 1 tsp lemon zest
07 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
08 - Pinch of salt

→ Topping & Finishing

09 - 1 tbsp olive oil
10 - 2 tbsp toasted pine nuts (optional)
11 - Fresh parsley or basil, to garnish

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - Rinse mini peppers, slice each one in half lengthwise, and carefully remove seeds and membranes.
03 - In a medium bowl, combine goat cheese, cream cheese, garlic, chopped herbs, lemon zest, black pepper, and salt. Mix until smooth and creamy.
04 - Fill each pepper half with the cheese mixture using a spoon or piping bag.
05 - Arrange stuffed peppers on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle lightly with olive oil.
06 - Roast in the oven for 18–20 minutes, or until peppers are tender and cheese begins to turn golden.
07 - Remove from oven. Top with toasted pine nuts (if using) and fresh herbs. Serve warm or at room temperature.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • These come together so fast you will look like you planned them for days, even if you threw them together ten minutes before guests arrived.
  • The creamy tang of goat cheese melting into sweet roasted peppers is the kind of flavor combination that makes people close their eyes when they take the first bite.
  • They are naturally gluten free and vegetarian, which means almost everyone at the table can enjoy them without a single modification.
02 -
  • Do not overfill the peppers or the cheese will spill out and burn on the parchment before the peppers are fully roasted.
  • Toasting pine nuts in a dry skillet takes barely two minutes and they go from golden to burnt in seconds, so stand there and shake the pan the entire time.
03 -
  • A piping bag makes filling the peppers dramatically faster and neater, but if you do not have one, a zip top bag with the corner snipped off works just as well.
  • Let the stuffed peppers rest for two minutes after they come out of the oven before serving, because the cheese filling holds enough heat to burn an eager tongue.

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