If you have leftover meatballs and are craving a snack, look no further than these ridiculously easy stuffed peppers.
Ridiculously Easy Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients
- 2 banana peppers
- 3 jalapenos
- 12 small cocktail meatballs
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
-
Remove stems from peppers, and cut in half lengthwise.
-
Remove ribs and seeds from peppers.
-
Bring a small pot of water to boil. Add peppers; cook banana peppers for 1 minute and jalapenos for 3 minutes.
-
Set peppers aside.
-
Dice meatballs and place in small, clean saucepot. Add at least 1/3 cup sauce.
-
Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
-
Preheat broiler.
-
Place peppers on small baking tray, and fill with meatball mixture.
-
Top with cheese, and broil for 1 minute or until melted.
Monday’s recipe was for Pimento Cheese Toasts. Today’s recipe is for ridiculously easy stuffed peppers. What do stuffed peppers and pimento cheese have in common? They share a broiled cheese topping, but it’s more than that. They both are snacks that my husband enjoys. As we are nearing Father’s Day, it seemed the perfect time to work on foods that are near and dear to his appetite.
To learn more about this recipe, originally published in July 2015, keep reading.
Peppers have been on the editorial calendar for weeks, and for most of that time I have pondered how to make peppers into a star ingredient of a dish. It seems that most of the time I use peppers as an accent or condiment when cooking. I have made poppers, but I can’t share that recipe twice. I have also made traditional stuffed peppers with rice and meat, but it’s too warm for a dish that big and filling. All of this left me to wonder, whatever shall I do?
Then, while I was looking in our freezer, inspiration struck! I saw the single serving containers of leftover meatballs. Couldn’t I repurpose these meatballs and turn them into a filling? To keep the dish lighter, why couldn’t I switch from bell peppers to smaller, hot peppers? It seemed to me that this could make a delightful appetizer for a Tapas Monday.
While the meatballs are the prominent flavor in the dish, the peppers definitely add something to the dish. If you want heat, use jalapenos and don’t remove all (or any) of the ribs and seeds. If you want less heat, stick with banana peppers with seeds and ribs removed.
Regardless to whether you prefer heat or not, the peppers add a nice bit of crunch to the dish. I don’t think the use of peppers as the vessel makes it a healthy dish, but it sure is a flavorful appetizer. Finally, although these are smaller peppers, they’re pretty messy to eat. Don’t plan on serving them as finger foods; a fork and knife will be appreciated.
With a little more effort, you also could make Linguisa & Mushroom Stuffed Peppers, which are quite tasty.
