Stuffed Mini Peppers

Oven roasted sweet mini peppers stuffed with taco meat, beans, melted cheese and garnished with chopped cilantro for a quick and easy appetizer.

Mini peppers are sweeter than your average bell pepper with the same level of crunch.  They come in a beautiful orange, yellow, or red color and honestly look to cute to eat.  But... they are delicious.  Due to their small size, they make the perfect appetizer or finger-food for any casual gathering.  I guarantee this recipe will be a hit.

Ingredients

• Mini sweet peppers
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Cooked beans (homemade or canned, red or black)
• Mozzarella cheese (or another melt-y cheese)
• Cilantro for garnish
• Ground meat (turkey, beef, pork, chicken)
• Kosher salt
• Black pepper
• Granulated garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Taco seasoning (store bought or homemade)

Essentials

• Baking sheet
• Parchment paper
• Chopping board
• Saute pan for cooking taco meat
• Large spoon for cooking taco meat
• Small spoon for stuffing peppers

They're stuffed with taco meat, red beans, cheese and garnished with cilantro for a little Mexican flare.  The sweet and savory combination from the roasted sweet peppers and savory taco meat create the perfect balance that will definitely have you craving for more. 

When you bite into them, they're juicy, flavorful, and so addicting.

How to make stuffed mini peppers

Wash and dry each pepper with paper towels.

Cut each pepper in half lengthwise (down the middle) and place them onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and drizzle them with extra virgin olive oil and a dash of salt.

Stuff each half with a small amount of cooked taco meat, cooked beans, and top with a layer of mozzarella cheese.  Due to the size of the peppers, do not try to overfill as the filling will spill out onto the baking sheet.

Place the stuffed peppers in the oven and bake in a preheated oven at 415° F for about 7 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and the peppers are tender. Keep in mind that done-ness is more important than focusing on cooking time as oven times may vary.

Place the stuffed peppers on serving tray and garnish with chopped cilantro for a nice presentation and serve immediately.

Tips

• Great way to use up leftover taco meat and/or beans
• Taco meat can be either ground: turkey, beef, pork, or chicken
• Use canned beans to save time or make homemade
• Slicing the cheese instead of shredding makes the cheese stay on top of the peppers easier
• Do not under bake or over bake the stuffed peppers
• Bake until peppers are nice and tender
• Feel free to cut the green tips off of the mini peppers, but I find that they add more color and are really pretty especially when serving guests
• After baking, they cool off fairly quickly so serve immediately
• Makes a great appetizer for a casual gathering, Memorial Day, 4th of July, or any other summer backyard gathering

Can you make ahead

Yes, these stuffed peppers can be made ahead by storing the ingredients separately by doing the following:

• Cut the mini peppers lengthwise and store in a ziploc bag or an airtight container until ready to use
• Make the taco meat and store separately in a ziploc bag or an airtight container.
• If you're making homemade beans store separately in an airtight container or open a can of beans on the day of
• Slice the cheese and store separately in a ziploc bag or airtight container or slice the day of
• On the day of, warm the taco meat and beans before stuffing the peppers, top with sliced cheese and roast in the oven until the peppers are tender and the cheese has melted

For other appetizer ideas check out these

• Crispy Spring Rolls
• Easy Whole30 Salmon Cakes

Connect with me on Pinterest and Instagram for more tasty recipe ideas.

Thanks for visiting,

~Cree