Baby red, orange and yellow sweet peppers, stuffed with ricotta and feta filling then baked until bubbly and golden brown.
Servings 24Peppers
Prep Time 30 minutesmins
Cook Time 20 minutesmins
Equipment
1 piping bag
1 large decorating tip with matching coupler
Ingredients
24mini sweet peppers in multiple colorsred, orange, yellow
1cupricotta cheese (homemade or store-bought)see recipe below
1/2cupcrumbled feta cheese
1teaspoonlemon pepper
1/2teaspoonsalt
1/2teaspoonwhite pepper
1teaspoonfreshly squeezed lemon juice
Homemade Ricotta
8cupswhole milk
1/2cupheavy cream
1 1/2teaspoonssea salt
2tablespoonsfresh-squeezed lemon juicestrained pulp out
2tablespoonrice vinegarcan also use white wine vinegar
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 F. Spray a baking sheet or casserole dish with PAM.
Lay peppers on a cutting board. Cut a small triangle on the top side of each of the peppers (see photo above) with the wide part at the top near the stem, leaving the stem intact if possible. Remove the triangle and set aside for your salad tonight. Now, scoop out any remaining seeds with a grapefruit spoon. Set aside.
Mix all remaining ingredients in a small bowl.
Using a small spoon or pastry bag, stuff peppers to the top of the opening with the cheese mixture. Place peppers, stuffing side up, on your baking sheet or casserole dish.
Bake at 400 F for approximately 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown.
Serve piping hot!
Homemade Ricotta Cheese
In a medium-large pot, slowly heat the milk and cream together until it reaches 185 F, stirring occasionally along the way. The best way to measure the temperature is to clip a candy or instant-read thermometer to the side of the pot when you first begin the process.
While the milk mixture is heating, line a colander with cheesecloth and sit it over a bowl. Set aside. Mix the lemon juice and vinegar in a small container.
Once the temperature reaches 185 F, remove the pot from the heat and immediately stir in the salt. Slowly drizzle the lemon juice and rice vinegar over the top. Stir gently with a silicon spoon or spatula until the curds begin to form.
Ladle the curds into the colander and roll any loose edges of cheesecloth over the top of the cheese. Allow to drain until it reaches the consistency you desire. This can take anywhere from 20 minutes to a few hours, depending upon how firm you like your ricotta. Store the cheese in an airtight container for up to two weeks in the refrigerator.
Notes
We love to make homemade ricotta cheese and it’s a fairly simple process, but if you don’t have time, just use your favorite store-bought ricotta. Our favorite lately is Fina Style by Liuzzi Cheese … it’s so creamy and delicious and easy to squeeze out of the piping bag.
Course: Side Dish
Keyword: pepper poppers, stuffed baby sweet peppers, sweet bell peppers