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    Home » Recipes » Appetizers

    Creamy Chicken Stuffed Mini Peppers with Spinach Walnut Pesto

    By: Kim Peterson · Posted: May 9, 2018 · Updated: Mar 21, 2022 · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Creamy Chicken Stuffed Mini Peppers with Spinach Walnut Pesto are sweet little bells loaded with bubbling cheese, tender chicken, roasted peppers, and shallots then drizzled with a thick, herbaceous spinach pesto. Good luck stopping at one!

    I came up with this recipe for the Food Network's Chopped at Home Challenge presented by Arla. Click the link if you'd like to enter! You have until June 1st to submit an original recipe. The basket of four required ingredients are Arla's Original Cream Cheese Spread, chicken breast, baby spinach, and roasted red bell pepper. Leave the rest to your imagination. This is a breeze compared to what the competitors on the show have to deal with, while under time constraints!

    Remember to PIN THIS to save the recipe for later!

    Creamy Chicken Stuffed Mini Peppers with Spinach Walnut Pesto | Give it Some Thyme - sweet little bells loaded with bubbling cheese, tender chicken, roasted peppers, and shallots then drizzled with a tasty spinach pesto!

    What you'll need...

    These stuffed mini peppers are colorful, super tasty bites for Mother's Day buffets and gatherings throughout the year. For the base of the filling, fontina and parmesan complemented Arla's cream cheese perfectly and added a bit of nutty flavor. Feel free to change up the cheeses but make sure to use ones that melt easily.

    ingredients spread out on wooden cutting board - mini peppers, chopped chicken, cheeses and roasted peppers

    Once you fold in the cubed chicken, roasted peppers and the rest of the line up, mound into those pretty petite pepper halves. You can prep them a day ahead and just pop in the oven when ready.

    peppers stuffed and ready to bake

    In less than ten minutes the cheesy filling will be oozing around the softened, roasted pepper.

    Stuffed Mini Peppers Baked

    While the peppers bake, you can whip up the Spinach Walnut Pesto, or make it the day before! It's a delicious blend of baby spinach, basil, parsley, toasted walnuts, lemon, garlic and parmesan.

    You'll want to have this creamy, versatile sauce on hand to slather on anything coming off the grill, drizzle on bite-size appetizers like these stuffed mini peppers, or freeze for future use. This pesto is addictive!

    Spinach Walnut Pesto Ingredients - spinach, basil, parsley, walnuts, parmesan, garlic, lemon

    All those bubbly baby peppers need now is a piping of pesto and you're ready to go. Set a few to the side for yourself before they all disappear. Enjoy!

    Creamy Chicken Stuffed Mini Peppers served with Spinach Walnut Pesto | giveitsomethyme.com

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    Creamy Chicken Stuffed Mini Peppers w/ Spinach Walnut Pesto | giveitsomethyme.com

    Creamy Chicken Stuffed Mini Peppers with Spinach Walnut Pesto

    Sweet mini peppers stuffed with a bubbling three-cheese blend, tender chicken, roasted peppers, and shallots then drizzled with a thick, herbaceous spinach walnut pesto.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Appetizer, Side Dish
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 30 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 40 minutes
    Servings: 30 stuffed peppers
    Calories: 68kcal
    Author: Kim Peterson

    Equipment

    • Food processor
    • Extra-large, rimmed baking sheet

    Ingredients

    Stuffed Mini Peppers

    • 10 ounces cream cheese , room temperature
    • 4 ounces fontina cheese , shredded
    • ⅓ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
    • 6-7 ounces cooked chicken breast , ½-inch dice
    • 4 ounces marinated roasted red peppers , drained and chopped
    • ¼ cup shallots , minced
    • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley , chopped
    • Salt and pepper , to taste
    • 15 mini sweet peppers , about 1 pound, halved and seeded

    Spinach Walnut Pesto

    • 2 ounces baby spinach leaves , about 2 packed cups
    • ½ cup toasted walnuts , roughly chopped
    • ⅓ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
    • ¼ cup flat-leaf parsley , chopped
    • ¼ cup fresh basil , chopped
    • 1 large garlic clove , roughly chopped
    • Juice and zest of 1 lemon
    • ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
    • Salt and pepper , to taste

    Instructions

    Stuffed Mini Peppers

    • Preheat oven to 375°F.
    • In a large bowl, stir the three cheeses together until well combined. Fold in chicken, roasted peppers, shallots and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
    • Spoon mixture into mini pepper halves and place on a rimmed baking sheet. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and chill until ready to bake.)
    • Bake for 8-10 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly. Let cool slightly and transfer stuffed peppers to a platter. Drizzle with Spinach Walnut Pesto and serve.

    Spinach Walnut Pesto

    • Combine spinach, walnuts, parmesan, parsley, basil, garlic, lemon juice and zest in a food processor. Pulse a few times to combine mixture.
    • Scrape sides with a spatula. With machine running, slowly drizzle in the oil. Continue to pulse for desired texture. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 
    • Makes approximately 1 cup. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.)

    Notes

    * Pestos will oxidize when exposed to air, and begin to brown. Adding a little olive oil over top and laying plastic wrap directly on the pesto before covering in an airtight container will help the pesto stay greener longer.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1 stuffed pepper | Calories: 68kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 134mg | Potassium: 74mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 653IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 47mg
    Tried this recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @giveitsomethyme or tag #giveitsomethyme!

    This page contains affiliate links. Meaning, whenever you purchase an item after clicking an Amazon link through this website, we receive a small percentage from Amazon. It doesn’t cost anything extra to you! It simply helps maintain the blog. Thanks so much!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Carrie says

      July 08, 2021 at 1:56 pm

      Made these for 4th of July BBQ. Was a hit. They are delicious. Takes a while to prepare so make stuffing day before. Also, instead of cutting peppers in half, I sliced one side off to make a larger cavity for stuffing

      Reply
      • Kim Peterson says

        July 08, 2021 at 2:30 pm

        Great idea! Thrilled they were a hit!

        Reply

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    Kim | Creator and Author of Give it Some Thyme

    Welcome! I'm Kim - author, recipe developer, and food photographer behind Give it Some Thyme. Here you'll find wholesome, classic and contemporary recipes that make memorable meals every home chef can prepare. Pull up a chair!

    More about me →

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