These cream cheese and bacon stuffed mini peppers are a fantastic party appetizer. What makes them special is a delicious smoky flavor in the filling that comes from smoked hot paprika. The smokiness works great with the cream cheese and cheddar filling and is complemented by fresh thyme and a little bit of garlic.
Recipe ingredients and notes:
- The cheddar cheese adds a great flavor punch and also cuts some of the richness of the cream cheese in this recipe.
- There is no need for additional salt in this recipe because the bacon provides enough.
Why you have to pre-cook the peppers:
Pre-cooking the peppers is required to get their softness just right. I tested stuffing them raw and then baking them but they were not sufficiently softened by the time the filling was melted.
How to make the peppers:
See full ingredient amounts and instructions in the recipe card below!
- Pre-cook the pepper halves in boiling water to soften them.
- Add all filling ingredients into a bowl.
- Whip the filling.
- Stuff and bake the peppers.
Full Recipe
Cream Cheese and Bacon Stuffed Mini Peppers
These cream cheese and bacon stuffed mini peppers have a great smokiness from smoked hot paprika and make a delicious appetizer.
Equipment:
Ingredients:
Method:
For the peppers:
- Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Slice the peppers in half lengthwise. Remove the ribs and seeds but leave the stem intact.
- Fill a pot large enough to fit all pepper halves with water and bring to a boil.
- Add the pepper halves to the boiling water and cook for 5 minutes.
- Drain the pepper halves and set them face down on a paper towel to cool and dry.
For the filling:
- Lightly oil a small baking sheet with olive oil. Set aside.
- Whip 6 tablespoons of cheddar along with all remaining filling ingredients together until combined.
- Fill the filling into the pepper halves (a little less than 1 tablespoon of filling per pepper). (I like to use a small metal spatula to do this.)
- Sprinkle the remaining cheddar onto the filling and bake until the cheese is melted (about 10 minutes).**
- Serve the peppers hot or warm.
Recipe notes:
*Be sure to use full-fat cream cheese. Products labeled as low-fat or reduced-fat have a higher moisture content than full-fat cream cheese and that can affect their melting. **Do not bake the peppers for much longer than 10 minutes or you run the risk of the filling separating. Storage: Transfer any leftover baked peppers into an airtight container and store in the fridge. Reheat in the oven until warmed through. Make ahead instructions:
- Let the pepper halves cool to room temperature after boiling. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge.
- Whip the filling, then transfer it into a separate airtight container and store in the fridge as well. To bake the peppers, let the filling come up to room temperature (about an hour on the kitchen counter), then stuff and bake the peppers as instructed.
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Nutrition (estimate only):
More cream cheese-stuffed appetizers:
- For more smoked hot paprika flavors, check out these stuffed portobello mushrooms with sausage.
- These bacon-wrapped stuffed shrimp have a delicious filling that's flavored with hot sauce.
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