Description
These Pimento Cheese Stuffed Mini Peppers are a vibrant and flavorful appetizer featuring sweet mini peppers filled with a creamy, tangy, and mildly spicy pimento cheese mixture. Perfect for parties, snacks, or gatherings, they’re quick to prepare and visually appealing.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Pimento Cheese Filling:
- 8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup jarred pimentos, drained and chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, for heat)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For the Mini Peppers:
- 12-15 mini sweet peppers (red, yellow, or orange), halved and deseeded
Instructions
- Prepare the Filling: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the grated sharp cheddar cheese, softened cream cheese, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, chopped pimentos, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper if using, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix thoroughly until the mixture is smooth, creamy, and well combined.
- Prepare the Peppers: Slice the mini sweet peppers in half lengthwise and carefully remove the seeds. Leave the stems on if desired for easier handling and a nice presentation.
- Stuff the Peppers: Using a spoon or a piping bag, carefully fill each pepper half with the prepared pimento cheese filling. Pack the filling in well so that each pepper is generously filled.
- Serve: Arrange the stuffed mini peppers on a serving platter. Serve immediately for best texture and freshness, or refrigerate for about 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld and the filling to firm up slightly.
Notes
- You can adjust the cayenne pepper amount or omit it completely to control the heat level.
- For a firmer filling, chill the mixture for 15 minutes before stuffing the peppers.
- These stuffed peppers are best served fresh but can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- Use a piping bag with a wide tip to make stuffing easier and neater.
