Chicken Florentine Stuffed Peppers (Printable Version)
Bell peppers filled with chicken, spinach, and three cheeses, baked until golden and bubbly.
# What You'll Need:
→ Meats
01 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced
→ Vegetables
02 - 4 large bell peppers (any color), tops cut off and seeded
03 - 2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
04 - 1 small onion, finely diced
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
→ Dairy
06 - 1 cup ricotta cheese
07 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
08 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided use
09 - 2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
→ Pantry and Seasonings
10 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
11 - 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herb blend (basil, oregano, thyme)
12 - 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
13 - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
→ Optional
14 - Pinch of red pepper flakes
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a baking dish large enough to hold four peppers upright.
02 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the prepared bell peppers and blanch for 3 minutes until slightly softened. Drain carefully and set aside to cool.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until translucent and softened. Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds until fragrant.
04 - Add the chopped spinach to the skillet and sauté until completely wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove the skillet from heat and allow the mixture to cool slightly.
05 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the shredded chicken, sautéed onion and garlic, wilted spinach, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, half of the mozzarella cheese, softened cream cheese, dried Italian herbs, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. Mix thoroughly until all ingredients are evenly incorporated.
06 - Divide the chicken Florentine filling evenly among the blanched bell peppers, pressing gently to pack the mixture. Arrange the stuffed peppers upright in the prepared baking dish.
07 - Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese evenly over the top of each stuffed pepper.
08 - Bake on the center rack for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the peppers are fork-tender and the cheese topping is melted, golden, and bubbly.
09 - Remove from the oven and let the peppers rest for 5 minutes before serving to allow the filling to set.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- These stuffed peppers turn simple leftover chicken into something that feels like a special occasion dinner with almost no effort.
- The creamy ricotta and spinach filling makes each bite rich and satisfying while keeping things low carb and gluten free.
02 -
- Do not skip the blanching step because raw peppers take much longer to soften in the oven and your filling will dry out before the pepper is tender.
- Drain the blanched peppers upside down on paper towels to remove excess water that can make the filling soggy.
03 -
- Cook extra chicken breasts the night before so assembling these peppers takes barely twenty minutes of active prep time.
- Let the spinach mixture cool completely before mixing with the cheeses or the ricotta will become runny and slide right out of the peppers during baking.