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.
Servings 30 stuffed peppers
Calories 68kcal
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