Cheese-Stuffed Mini Peppers with Roasted Corn Salsa
So, I kinda fell in love with this roasted corn salsa recipe – it’s such a great way to cook frozen corn – and my mind started spinning with all the ways I could see this being used (as well as just the roasting technique in other recipes – don’t be surprised if you start seeing more roasted corn recipes!).
Since healthy appetizers are always a good bet (we need a balance with the cheesy dips, wouldn’t you agree?) and I still had some mini bell peppers from the garden, I created these easy, yummy, cheese-stuffed mini peppers that are topped with the roasted corn salsa to help round out our appetizer offerings perfectly. I’m always looking for a grain-free appetizer to serve for those eating paleo as well as emphasizing vegetables and protein over chips and bread. And, hey – there’s still cheese involved, right?
The first step to making the stuffed peppers is to cut and seed the mini bell peppers. I wanted to share this easy technique for anyone like me who spent years trying to seed the peppers with the tip of a knife: use a spoon! It’s easy to just scoop out the seeds without accidentally cutting into the pepper flesh. For these small peppers, I used a small sugar spoon which just fit inside the pepper halves.
I used two different types of cheese, an herb-garlic Boursin and shredded pepper-jack. Simply spoon the creamy Boursin into the pepper halves or press in the grated cheese, making sure the shreds are pushed firmly inside, then top the pepper halves with a spoonful of the already prepared roasted corn salsa.
Bake for a few minutes until the cheese is just a melty goodness all around. Um, can we just agree that cheese makes so many things good? I really do feel sorry for people who can’t do cheese. Really.
And aren’t they pretty adorable on a white plate? All those vibrant colors – and the cute little stems. I really felt very ‘chef-like’ when it occurred to me that I could leave them on and cut them in half. Plus they work like perfect little holders for easier eating!
Seriously, these are so quick and good that they would make a nice vegetable to go along with regular meals, too, and not just appetizers. Now I’m off to find more ways to use the corn salsa…
Want to save this?
Enter your email below and you'll get it straight to your inbox. Plus you'll get easy new recipes, gardening tips & more every week!
Cheese-Stuffed Mini Peppers with Roasted Corn Salsa
Ingredients
- 12 mini bell peppers cut in half and seeded
- 1/2 to 1 cup cheese of your choice creamy or shredded*
- 1 cup prepared roasted corn salsa
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Place pepper halves on a small baking sheet (if some roll around, slice a tiny bit from the backs to help them sit flat).
- Add cheese: use a spoon to fill halfway with creamy cheese (like Boursin); use fingers to stuff halves with shredded cheese, pressing into shell.
- Top each half with a spoonful of prepared roasted corn salsa. Don't worry about some falling off - you can put it back on after baking.
- Bake for 10 minutes and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
These sound so good! I just bought a bag of mini peppers from Costco and when I went to use them I see that they are seedless! I didn’t know there was such a thing!!
Kind of interesting, huh?!
Thanks for all you’re awesome stories and recipes😋
I got that surprise a few months ago, too – I hadn’t realized there were completely seedless peppers either!
Just made these and they are wonderful. I did roast the halved peppers til almost cooked while they were empty – and it worked perfectly.
Thank you for a beautiful, delicious, bright and healthy appetizer!
I’m so glad you found these and made them, Anne! They are unusual and I think wonderful – I’m happy you do, too. 🙂