Healthy, quick and easy, and very delicious, these Cream Cheese Stuffed Baby Bell Peppers are a perfect appetizer for any event. Whether it is a special occasion, party or you want to make something tasty for a dinner, this recipe is guaranteed to please you.
These Cream Cheese Stuffed Baby Bell Peppers are naturally gluten-free and can be made vegan. Just use vegan cream cheese instead of traditional one. The recipe is so easy and at the same time very delicious, that it is real lifesaver if you want to make tasty and effective appetizers and have no time. Perfect for holiday table, parties or just an afternoon snack to enjoy.
How to make Cream Cheese Stuffed Baby Bell Peppers
- Prepare the bell peppers: Slice the baby bell peppers in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Note that you can use mini bell peppers of different colors to create a bright and colorful appetizer.
- Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent the peppers from sticking and make cleaning up easier.
- Make the cream cheese filling: In a mixing bowl, combine softened cream cheese with hot sauce, chopped green onions, chopped tomato, salt, and pepper. The cream cheese is the base of the filling and gives the dish its creamy texture and delicious taste. The hot sauce and seasonings add flavor and depth to the filling.
- Fill and bake the peppers: Use a spoon to fill the cut peppers with the cream cheese filling, making sure to smooth the tops. Bake the peppers for 20 minutes, or until the filling is heated through and the peppers are tender. You can garnish the stuffed peppers with additional chopped green onions, or herbs like parsley or cilantro.
Ingredients and variations
- Mini bell peppers. Use mini bell peppers of different colors to create a bright and colorful appetizer – the combination of red, green, yellow and orange bell peppers will look fancy and very beautiful. Or use one kind of pepper, for example, we used green ones in this. If you can’t find mini bell peppers, you can use traditional bell peppers, just cut them into 3 or 4 parts.
- Cream cheese. Cream cheese is the base of the filling. It makes our dish super creamy and very delicious. Make sure the cream cheese is softened to make mixing easier. If you want to make a vegan version of the dish, just substitute traditional cream cheese with vegan cream cheese.
- Green onions fit very well in this savory yummy dish, enriching the taste.
- Hot sauce is not a necessary ingredient, but I really recommend adding it to make the taste spicier and deeper. If you want to omit hot sauce, you can add 1 tbsp of ketchup or other sauce.
Add some chopped veggies to the filling, I like to add chopped tomato. Sun-dried tomatoes also are very great to add.
Feel free to add your favorite herbs and seasonings to the filling. Paprika, black pepper, powdered garlic, Italian seasonings are great additions, that may bring some extra flavor. The filling is quite versatile, you can add some chopped vegetables instead of tomato and onions, and create your favorite combination of the filling. For example, you can add corn, green peas, chopped chili peppers etc. And of course, try the original version – it is super yummy!
Storage Instructions
You can store the leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in the ait-tight container. To reheat, you can either place the peppers on a baking sheet and bake them in the oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes or microwave them for 1-2 minutes.
Note that the texture of the peppers may change slightly after being refrigerated, but they will still be delicious.
FAQs
More recipes for holiday tables and parties
Here there are our other easy, healthy and delicious recipes for appetizers and side dishes:
- Cranberry Sauce
- Vegetarian Charcuterie Board
- Oven Roasted Baby Carrots
- Baked Purple Sweet Potatoes with Beans and Cashew sauce
- or check out our appetizer category.
These Cream Cheese Stuffed Baby Bell Peppers are the perfect crowd-pleasing appetizer, that everyone will enjoy! This healthy and super tasty dish with this combination of flavors is always a winner. So be sure to make this yummy dish and leave comments in the section below.
Ingredients
- 12 mini bell peppers
- 8 oz (227 g) cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup green onion, chopped
- 1 medium tomato, chopped
- 1 tbsp hot sauce
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Slice peppers in half length-wise, remove the seeds.
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix softened cream cheese with chopped green onions, chopped tomato, hot sauce, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
- Fill the cut peppers with the filling, and smooth on top. Bake for 20 minutes.
