Goat Cheese Stuffed Mini Peppers (Printable)
Mini sweet peppers roasted and filled with creamy herbed goat cheese—an elegant Mediterranean appetizer.
# What You'll Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 16 mini sweet peppers
→ Filling
02 - 7 oz fresh goat cheese, softened
03 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
04 - 1 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped
05 - 1 garlic clove, minced
06 - 1 tbsp olive oil
07 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
08 - 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
→ Garnish
09 - 2 tbsp toasted pine nuts (optional)
10 - 1 tsp lemon zest
# How-To Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - Wash and dry mini peppers. Slice each pepper lengthwise and remove seeds and membranes, keeping stems intact for presentation if possible.
03 - In a medium bowl, combine goat cheese, parsley, chives, minced garlic, olive oil, black pepper, and salt. Mix until smooth and well incorporated.
04 - Fill each pepper half generously with the goat cheese mixture, smoothing the top with a small spoon or spatula.
05 - Arrange stuffed peppers cut side up on the prepared baking sheet, spacing evenly.
06 - Roast in the oven for 18–20 minutes, or until peppers are tender and the filling is lightly golden on top.
07 - Transfer to a serving platter. Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts and lemon zest. Serve warm or at room temperature.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- These come together with almost zero effort but look like something you would order at a wine bar with cloth napkins.
- The contrast between the sweet, soft roasted pepper and the tangy, creamy filling is the kind of flavor pairing that makes people close their eyes when they bite in.
02 -
- Overfilling the peppers will cause the cheese to spill over and burn on the pan, so keep it level with the edges.
- Toasting the pine nuts in a separate dry pan before sprinkling them on takes 90 seconds and completely transforms their flavor from flat to nutty and rich.
03 -
- Taste the filling before you stuff the peppers because goat cheese salt levels vary wildly between brands and you may need to adjust.
- Room temperature peppers roast faster and more evenly than cold ones straight from the fridge.