Roasted Goat Cheese Peppers (Printer-friendly)

Creamy goat cheese stuffed into sweet mini peppers and roasted until golden for an effortless Mediterranean appetizer.

# What You Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 16 mini sweet peppers

→ Filling

02 - 6 oz fresh goat cheese (chèvre)
03 - 2 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped
04 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
05 - 1 garlic clove, minced
06 - 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
07 - 1 tsp lemon zest
08 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
09 - 1/4 tsp sea salt

→ Garnish

10 - 1 tbsp pine nuts, toasted (optional)
11 - Fresh herbs, to taste

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - Wash the mini peppers thoroughly. Slice each pepper lengthwise and carefully remove the seeds and membranes while keeping the halves intact.
03 - In a mixing bowl, combine the goat cheese, chives, parsley, garlic, olive oil, lemon zest, black pepper, and salt. Stir until smooth and evenly blended.
04 - Generously fill each pepper half with the goat cheese mixture using a spoon or piping bag.
05 - Place the stuffed peppers on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them evenly.
06 - Roast in the preheated oven for 18–20 minutes until the peppers are tender and the cheese is lightly golden on top.
07 - Remove from the oven and garnish with toasted pine nuts and fresh herbs if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • These come together in under 35 minutes from start to finish, which makes them the ultimate last minute appetizer when guests are already on their way.
  • The creamy tang of goat cheese against the sweet roasted pepper is the kind of contrast that makes people close their eyes after the first bite.
  • They are naturally gluten free and low carb, so you can serve them at almost any gathering without a second thought.
02 -
  • Do not overfill the peppers because the cheese expands slightly during roasting and will spill over the edges if you pile it too high.
  • Toasting the pine nuts in a dry skillet for just two minutes transforms them from waxy to deeply nutty, but watch them constantly because they burn in seconds.
03 -
  • Let the goat cheese sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes before mixing because cold cheese is stubborn and will never blend smoothly.
  • Cut a tiny sliver off the bottom of each pepper half so it sits flat on the baking sheet and the filling stays put instead of sliding off one side.

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