Roasted Goat Cheese Mini Peppers (Printable Version)

Creamy goat cheese stuffed into sweet mini peppers and roasted to golden, savory perfection.

# What You'll 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

# Directions:

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 Hints:

01 -
  • These little peppers disappear fast at any gathering, so maybe make a double batch if you want to actually taste one yourself.
  • The creamy tang of goat cheese against the sweetness of roasted pepper is one of those combinations that makes people close their eyes when they bite into it.
02 -
  • Overfilling the peppers will cause the cheese to spill out and burn on the parchment, so a modest mound is better than a mountain.
  • Toasting pine nuts in a dry pan takes about two minutes and they go from golden to burnt in seconds, so stay right there and shake the pan constantly.
03 -
  • A piping bag with a wide tip fills the peppers faster and neater than any spoon, but a zip top bag with the corner snipped off works in a pinch.
  • Let the cheese mixture sit at room temperature for ten minutes before stuffing so it spreads without tearing the pepper walls.