Lesya We learned this recipe in Kyiv (Ukraine) about 25 years ago at a social gathering. Instead of hiring a catering service, the hosts invited their neighbor Olya to make sandwiches and appetizers for the guests. All the food was great; however, a platter with stuffed sweet red peppers was the highlight of the evening. The bright red peppers were filled with soft white cheese and seasoned with garlic, spring onion, and black pepper. Certainly, we wanted to learn how to make this insanely colorful and delicious dish!
The next day after the party, we repeated the recipe at home, but it didn’t work that well, although it seemed simple. Later we figured out that we had to add mayonnaise to the filling and brush the peppers with vegetable oil before putting them in the oven. This is because the oil softens the skin of the peppers, and the preparation time reduces. These are little things, but they are essential too. As to the cheese, we used Brynza or cottage cheese for this recipe when we lived in Ukraine.
In Canada, we started to make our soft homemade cheese that resembles Brynza, and we like to make our cottage cheese too. Therefore, we use homemade cheese to fill and season it with garlic, fresh dill or parsley, spring onions, black pepper, salt, and a tablespoon of mayonnaise – natural and healthy products. Sweet peppers stuffed with homemade cheese and vegetables are beautiful, tasty, healthy, and cost-effective. This dish deserves to be on the list of appetizers for a special occasion or your weekend menu.
Red Bell Peppers Stuffed with Homemade Cheese
Red Bell Peppers Stuffed with Homemade Cheese
Equipment
- Chef's knife
- baking pan
- bowl
Ingredients
- 6 red sweet bell peppers
- 400 g homemade cheese
- 8 garlic cloves
- spring onion
- fresh dill
- fresh parsley
- black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tbsp mayonnaise
- Vegetable oil for brushing
Instructions
- Wash and slice the peppers in half. Remove the seeds and cut the tails.
- Brush the peppers with vegetable oil and put them on a baking pan lined with parchment paper.
- Soften the homemade cheese with a fork, add mayonnaise, salt, and black pepper, and mix well in a bowl. There is no need to use a blender, as the cheese will become liquid.
- Chop spring onion, dill, and parsley finely. You can substitute spring onion with fresh chives and parsley with cilantro.
- Add the greens to the mixture and mix well. Taste if you need to add more salt.
- Preheat the oven to 180 C (400 F).
- Stuff pepper halves with the cheese mixture. Ensure they are not overstuffed, as the cheese will melt in the oven. If you want, sprinkle each pepper half with Parmesan or shredded hard cheese. However, this is optional.
- Close the baking pan with foil and transfer it to the oven. Bake for 20 minutes. Open the foil and roast for another 5 minutes. (We keep the stuffed peppers in the oven for 25 minutes because we want to have the peppers roasted).
- Serve warm. (You can refrigerate the leftovers; however, the stuffed peppers taste best when fresh from the oven).
Mini Peppers Stuffed With Homemade Cheese
When mini sweet peppers are in season, you can prepare an even more exquisite dish, as mini peppers look very cute and irresistible. Usually, they sell packages that contain these pretty peppers in yellow, orange, and red colors. Fill them with homemade cheese and eat them fresh or bake them; either way, the stuffed mini peppers taste delicious. When we prepare mini peppers, we can cut them in halves or fill whole peppers with softened cheese.
Mini Peppers Stuffed With Homemade Cheese
Equipment
- knife
- baking pan
- small spoon
- bowl
Ingredients
- 454 g mini sweet bell peppers
- 200 g homemade cheese
- 4 garlic cloves
- fresh dill
- fresh parsley
- black pepper
- salt to taste
- 1 tspn mayonnaise
- Vegetable oil (for brushing)
Instructions
- Wash peppers, remove the seeds and cut the tails.
- Brush the peppers with vegetable oil and put them on a baking pan lined with parchment paper.
- Soften the homemade cheese with a fork, add mayonnaise, salt, and black pepper, and mix well in a bowl. There is no need to use a blender, as the cheese will become liquid.
- Chop dill and parsley finely.
- Add the greens to the mixture and mix well. Taste if you need to add more salt.
- Preheat the oven to 180 C (400 F).
- Stuff peppers with the cheese mixture.
- Close the baking pan with foil and transfer it to the oven. Bake for 10 minutes. Open the foil and roast for another 5 minutes.
- Serve warm. (You can refrigerate the leftovers; however, the stuffed peppers taste best when fresh from the oven).
Please follow the same steps as in the first recipe. The only difference is that we sliced only a couple of peppers (just for variety) and left the rest whole. You can use a bag to decorate cakes to stuff the mini peppers, but a small spoon worked perfectly well for us. Another difference is the backing time – 10-15 minutes will suffice. Please watch our short video on YouTube that shows how to make this amazing appetizer:
What kind of cheese to use for stuffing peppers?
You can use soft white cheese, such as Feta, Ricotta, Brynza, or cottage cheese. We use homemade cheese because it is more cost-effective and always fresh. Also, when we use our homemade cheese, we know that we will get the best quality, and the taste and texture will be consistent. Please follow this link to learn How to Make Homemade Cheese. If you want, sprinkle the ready peppers with shaved hard cheese or Parmesan cheese. However, these kinds of cheese are not used for stuffing.
Why are peppers stuffed with homemade cheese such a great appetizer?
Peppers stuffed with homemade cheese are a great appetizer because this dish is colorful, healthy, affordable, and easy to make. You will need only half an hour to make it. You can make several variations – with regular-sized sweet peppers or with mini sweet peppers. Both variations will look and taste great and can be served for various occasions. If you need more ideas for making simple and enjoyable appetizers from Ukrainian cuisine, please follow this link to learn How to Make Salo Spread or Homemade Salted Salmon.
Are sweet peppers a good source of vitamins?
Yes, sweet peppers are a great source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. In particular, they are packed with vitamins A and C, which are important for a healthy immune system and beautiful skin. Sweet peppers are a good source of fiber, which can help regulate digestion. Furthermore, sweet peppers are low in calories and high in water content, making them an excellent food for weight loss. They are also a good source of potassium, which can help lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of stroke and heart disease.
Learn more about other simple and healthy vegetables and their use in Ukrainian culinary traditions!
Conclusion
In conclusion, the juicy texture of sweet peppers make them a great ingredient for many dishes. In our recipe for sweet peppers stuffed with homemade cheese, we describe one way you can use this delicious and healthy vegetable. We hope that you enjoyed our recipe and will be able to surprise your family and guests with this new delicious and beautiful dish. Don’t hesitate to share your thoughts or ideas with other readers and us. We wish you all the best and happy cooking. Please pray for the brave people in Ukraine!
