tablespoonjalapeñoschopped, adjust quantity according to taste
85gramscooked sausage, bacon or smoked chicken/turkey(optional) 3 oz, roughly chopped
Garnish
3tablespoonsshredded cheeseparmesan, gruyere or cheddar
2tablespoonsolive oilfor drizzling
⅛teaspoonblack pepperfreshly ground
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F.
Wash and dry the peppers then slice them down the middle lengthways. Remove the seeds and membrane then set aside and prepare the filling.
6 mini peppers
In a medium mixing bowl add all the filling ingredients and mix well. Taste and adjust for seasoning adding more salt if required.
112 grams cream cheese, 1 teaspoon garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, 85 grams cooked sausage, bacon or smoked chicken/turkey, tablespoon jalapeños
Spoon the cheese mixture into the peppers then arrange them cheese side up a few inches apart from one another on a on stick roasting dish. Top with shredded cheese.
Bake for 15-20 minutes till the cheese turns golden and the peppers have softened. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and some freshly crushed black pepper.
Notes
You may find it easier to spoon the filling into a piping bag to fill the peppers.Arrange the peppers cheese side up on a non stick roasting pan, leaving an inch or two between them.
Substitutions:
peppers - if sweet mini peppers are unavailable, use a couple of red or yellow bell peppers. Remove the seeds and membrane then cut into slices thick enough to hold the filling.
cheese - run out of of cream cheese? Use ricotta, boursin (in which case you won't need to add garlic) or goats cheese instead.
fish/poultry/meat - chop up any cooked leftover fish, poultry or meat (sausage or bacon work well), as long as the flavour complements the rest of the ingredients used in this recipe.
vegetarian - add chopped grilled mushrooms
Make ahead and storing
This recipe can be prepared a day or two in advance in two parts.
Follow the recipe instructions to the point where the peppers are ready to be filled, then keep the pepper halves in a sealed container in the fridge till you are ready to use them.
Similarly, the cheese filling can also be prepared separately and stored in a sealed container in the fridge till ready to use. Stored this way, the filling will keep for a couple of days.
Freezing is not suitable as the peppers soften on thawing and they will not hold their shape to contain the cheese filling.
Serving
These are best served warm or at room temperature.