Chicken Florentine Stuffed Peppers (Printer-friendly)

Bell peppers stuffed with chicken, spinach, and three cheeses, baked until golden and bubbly.

# What You 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
14 - Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a baking dish large enough to hold the peppers upright.
02 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the prepared bell peppers and blanch for 3 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.
03 - Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until 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 wilted, approximately 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let the mixture cool slightly.
05 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked chicken, sautéed onion and garlic, wilted spinach, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, half of the mozzarella, cream cheese, Italian herbs, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. Mix thoroughly until all ingredients are evenly incorporated.
06 - Fill each blanched bell pepper evenly with the chicken Florentine 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 for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the peppers are tender and the cheese on top is golden and bubbly.
09 - Remove from the oven and allow the peppers to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The creamy ricotta and spinach filling makes these feel like a proper Italian comfort meal without any guilt.
  • They reheat beautifully the next day, which means lunch at work suddenly becomes something you actually look forward to.
02 -
  • Do not skip blanching the peppers because raw peppers will not cook through fully in thirty five minutes and you will end up with crunchy walls and overdone filling.
  • Let the spinach mixture cool before adding it to the cheeses or the ricotta will turn grainy and the mozzarella will clump instead of blending smoothly.
03 -
  • Use a melon baller to scoop out the seeds and membranes from inside the peppers because it is ten times faster and cleaner than using a knife.
  • Mix the filling a day ahead and keep it in the fridge because the flavors meld overnight and the whole dish tastes noticeably better when you stuff and bake the next day.

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