Thank you Silver Spring Foods for sponsoring this recipe for Zesty Cream Cheese Stuffed Mini Peppers, a flavorful appetizer made with only 6 ingredients that will have you ready for any party or football game! All opinions are my own.
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases. All opinions are my own.
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It's football season, and I'm giving you a secret weapon to keep in your culinary back pocket.
Stuffed mini peppers are an indulgent yet healthier two-bite appetizer that are full of crowd appeal. They're kind of like a sweet/savory version of a jalapeno popper.
People just can't say no to cheese, and we're going to surprise and delight by infusing that cheese with one of my favorite flavors - horseradish! It gives just the right amount of zing without being too spicy.
I served these mini stuffed peppers to a few friends and they disappeared so fast! The combination of creamy cheese and spicy horseradish is almost irresistible.
This recipe is naturally gluten-free and can easily be made vegan by using vegan cheeses and swapping the Silver Spring Foods Cream Style Horseradish for Silver Spring Foods Prepared Horseradish.
I've been using Silver Spring Foods products for years. They're a local (Wisconsin) company that has been family owned and operated for over 80 years through four generations.
As a kid I can remember my dad's love of horseradish on his sandwiches. He's the one who first taught me to love food and choose quality ingredients. Silver Spring Foods is the number one retail brand for Prepared Horseradish in the United States, and with good reason!
Ingredients
- Mini sweet peppers
- Cream cheese
- Sharp cheddar cheese
- Green onions
- Cream style horseradish
- Garlic powder
- Salt and pepper
How to make stuffed mini peppers
- Arrange pepper halves in a single layer, cut side up, on a baking sheet. Bake 8 minutes at 350ºF. When you remove the peppers, increase the oven temperature to 400ºF.
- While the peppers are cooking, combine cream cheese, cheddar cheese, green onions, horseradish, garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl.
- Divide the filling evenly amongst the peppers, being careful not to mound too much filling into them or they will melt and get messy.
- Bake the stuffed peppers another 8 minutes, then turn on the broiler to get the tops a little crispy.
- Serve hot or at room temperature on a bed of arugula if desired.
Top tips and questions
Cut through the stem
When slicing the peppers in half, I like to cut through the stem so both halves get a little bit on there. It makes them look nice, and offers an easy way to hold them while you eat.
The stems are very tender, so this is pretty easy to do, however if you prefer to cut them off you're certainly welcome to. I do not eat the stem.
How to remove ribs and seeds from mini peppers
The inside of the peppers is easily removed with a small spoon or melon baller. Start at the top near the stem and scrape down to the end (check out the video to see how I do this).
Drink pairings with stuffed mini peppers
This is a delicious vegetarian appetizer that's just begging for a special drink to go along with it! Whether you're enjoying these alone, at the Super Bowl, a baby shower, or a holiday party, I've got the perfect drink to serve with them.
- Cherry Mojitos
- Homemade Lemonade
- Watermelon Lime Mocktail
- Christmas Gin Cocktail
- Sparkling Greyhound Cocktail
- Vegas Bomb
- Mojito Mocktail
- Margarita Pitcher
- Mojito Pitcher
How to store stuffed mini peppers with cream cheese
Keep leftover cream cheese peppers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I do not recommend freezing a cream cheese appetizer. They are best warm, so reheat for just a few seconds in the microwave, or a few minutes in the oven.
Tips for customizing cream cheese stuffed mini peppers
- Increase the horseradish or omit it entirely to suit your taste
- Swap the Silver Spring Foods Cream Style Horseradish for Silver Spring Foods Applewood Smoke Flavored Horseradish Sauce for a smoky alternative
- Add a little extra shredded cheddar cheese to the top to make them super cheesy
- Meat eaters can add finely crumbled sausage or bacon to the mix
- If you're short on time you can skip the first bake on the mini peppers, though they will turn out more crisp in the end
- Sprinkle with everything bagel seasoning (affiliate link)
FAQ
Mini sweet peppers are similar to bell peppers but are smaller and sweet, perfect for snacking or using in an appetizer such as this.
You can stuff mini peppers with just about anything small enough to fit, but today we're putting together a zesty mix of cheeses, horseradish, and green onions
I like to bake them for 8 minutes unstuffed at 350ºF, then another 8 minutes stuffed at 400ºF. If you prefer a more crisp pepper, you can skip the first bake.
More appetizer recipes
- Apple and Honey Goat Cheese Appetizer
- Avocado Chimichurri Chip Dip
- Taco Dip
- Fall Cheeseboard
- Basic Hummus
- White Bean Dip
- Sweet and Salty Cheeseboard
- Vegetarian Burrito Bites
- Burrata with Tomatoes, Pesto, and Toast
- Whipped Feta Dip
- White Bean Crostini Appetizer
- Burrata Caprese
- Peach Burrata Caprese
- Stuffed Mushrooms
If you make this recipe, be sure to rate it, leave a comment, or tag #theliveinkitchen on Instagram!
Recipe
Zesty Cream Cheese Stuffed Mini Peppers
Ingredients
- 12-16 mini sweet peppers, halved lengthwise, seeds and ribs removed
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup freshly grated medium sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 green onions, light and dark green part only, thinly sliced
- 1 ½ - 2 teaspoons Silver Spring Cream Style Horseradish
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Arugula, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Arrange pepper halves in a single layer, cut side up, on a baking sheet. Bake 8 minutes. When you remove the peppers, increase the oven temperature to 400ºF.
- While the peppers are cooking, combine cream cheese, cheddar cheese, green onions, horseradish, garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl.
- Divide the filling evenly amongst the peppers, being careful not to mound too much filling into them or they will melt and get messy.
- Bake the stuffed peppers another 8 minutes, then turn on the broiler to get the tops a little crispy.
- Serve hot or at room temperature on a bed of arugula if desired.
Leatra Harper says
OMG THE POPUPS ON THIS SITE ARE DRIVING ME NUTS! I WON'T BE BACK!
Lindsay Moe says
Hi Leatra, thank you for bringing this to my attention. I would love it if you could email me directly to let me know exactly what you are experiencing. There should only be one small window that pops up as you leave the site, so if there are more I would like to address it. Are you able to give me more information such as are you on mobile or desktop, are they ads, videos, etc.?
Suzanne Salhany says
Do you think you could prepare these up to the second bake and freeze??
Lindsay Moe says
In my experience, cream cheese does not freeze well. It might do ok here since you would be baking it afterwards, but the texture might change. Ultimately I wouldn't recommend it, but it might be worth experimenting with and if you do let me know how it goes!
CBaker says
About freezing for later use.
Once peppers have been frozen they tend to become very watery
Valerie says
What a clever idea to use horseradish for a kick!
Rose says
No offense to your dad or Silver Spring (btw, hi from Northeast Iowa!), but I made these without the horseradish and they are my new favorite snack!!
Sheila says
How would some Panko crumbs do on this for the final baking? Just thought the crispness would be good.
Lindsay Moe says
I think panko is a great idea!
Candice says
What do you think about baking the cream cheese filling first (almost as if it’s a dip), storing it in the fridge and then using it as a spread on raw mini peppers to serve as a cold appetizer (ie. I won’t have access it an oven the day I’m serving them)?
Lindsay Moe says
I think if you wanted to serve it cold I would try just not baking the filling and dipping the peppers in that. There's nothing in the filling that needs to be baked, and it may have a better texture unbaked than baked and chilled.
Kacey says
These turned out great. Love the addition of horseradish too! Tried prebaking and not prebaking the peppers; they both turned out well. Looking forward to serving them. Thanks for sharing!
Milly says
I made these without the green onion, I used a dried 3 onion product. They were awesome! Easy to make and everyone loved them.
Lindsay Moe says
That sounds great! I'm so glad you enjoyed it, thanks for sharing your adaptation.
Shannon says
I haven't made these yet but I was wondering if you think it would be good replacing the cheese with vegan cheese? I'm trying to avoid dairy because it doesn't agree with me anymore 🙁
Lindsay Moe says
I think it would work to use vegan swaps. You could also use regular horseradish in place of the cream style horseradish.