Pepperoni Pepper Poppers

Loaded with melty cheese and chopped pepperoni baked inside sweet mini bell peppers, these Pepperoni Pepper Poppers are simply popping with flavor. They're a perfect little savory treat for game day, parties, or after-school snacking. And as a bonus to their great flavor? -- They take only 6 simple ingredients to make.

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Hey, not all poppers have to be jalapeno. Adorable mini bell peppers make great poppers, too!

If you're not familiar with them, mini bell peppers can be found in the produce section of the grocery store. They come in little packages, with typically a mix of 10 to 12 red, yellow, and orange mini sweet peppers in each package. Just like jalapenos, these pretty little peppers make a fabulous foundation for poppers, all without that jalapeno heat.

With their warm pepperoni and melty cheese filling? -- Pepperoni Pepper Poppers are simply popping with flavor.

In this pepperoni-based poppers version, those sweet mini bell peppers are stuffed with a creamy mix of cream cheese, shredded mozzarella, and chopped pepperoni. Topped with mini pepperoni slices as a fun little touch, they're then baked until the cheese is warm and melty and the peppers are nicely softened.

And with that warm pepperoni and melty cheese filling, seasoned simply with a bit of dried basil? -- Pepperoni Pepper Poppers are simply popping with flavor. Which makes them the perfect little pick-up for parties, game day, and after-school snacking.

What's to Love About This Recipe?

• Flavorful - The sweet bell pepper foundation loaded with warm pepperoni and melty cheese filling is one very flavorful combination, indeed.
• Fun & adorable - Mini bell peppers and mini pepperoni make for adorably fun little pepper poppers!
• Unique twist on poppers - Not all poppers have to be jalapeno! Mini sweet bell peppers loaded with cheesy pepperoni filling are a unique and tasty twist on traditional poppers.
• Just 6 ingredients - It takes just 6 simple ingredients to whip up a batch of these tasty Pepperoni Pepper Poppers. And hey, one of those 6 simple ingredients is salt. -- So, does that really even count?

Pepperoni Pepper Popper Ingredients:

It takes just 6 simple ingredients to make these super tasty Pepperoni Pepper Poppers. To whip up a batch, you'll need:

• Mini bell peppers - Multicolored sweet mini bell peppers are the foundation of the poppers. Look for packages of them in the produce section of the grocery store.

• Cream cheese - Serves as the base of the poppers' filling. Both regular and lighter Neufchatel cream cheese work just fine.

• Mozzarella cheese - We recommend shredding your own from a block for the best result. -- It melts better and is more creamy than pre-shredded packaged mozzarella cheese.

• Pepperoni - Chopped pepperoni flavors the filling. Optional whole mini pepperoni can also adorn the top of the poppers.

• Dried basil - Seasons the filling. Chopped fresh basil can be used instead, if you'd like.

• Salt - A small touch of salt seasons and enhances the filling's flavor.

How to Make Pepperoni Pepper Poppers:

Pepperoni Pepper Poppers are pretty easy to pull together. Yes, just like with making homemade jalapeno poppers, seeding the peppers is a tad bit tedious. But other than that, making a batch of these tasty little bites is pretty simple.

To get a pan of Pepperoni Pepper Poppers going, start by halving the peppers lengthwise (from the tip through the stem). Then remove the seeds from each half and set the pepper halves aside while you mix up the filling.

If the pepper halves don't sit level or are very tippy, you can cut a very thin slice from the bottom of the pepper to give it a flat spot to sit on. Just be careful to keep the slice very thin -- it's pretty easy to cut right through the entire bottom of the pepper by mistake.

For the filling, stir together a block of cream cheese, some chopped pepperoni, shredded mozzarella, dried basil, and a small bit of salt until everything's well combined.

Fill each pepper half with about 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of the pepperoni-cream cheese mixture. Place the filled peppers, cut/filled sides up, in a baking dish or on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Top each filled pepper half with 2 or 3 whole mini pepperoni slices. This step is totally optional, but looks really nice and makes it easy to tell that these poppers are pepperoni-loaded little bites.

Pop the pan in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, until the cheese is a little bubbly and beginning to lightly brown on the top. Then let the baked poppers stand for about 5 minutes before serving.

And then you're good to go with enjoying the pepperoni popper deliciousness! Serve up a warm and tasty platter-full for a perfect party pick-up, tasty gameday nibble, or hearty after-school snack.

Recipe FAQs:

• Does Neufchatel cream cheese work to make the filling for Pepperoni Pepper Poppers, or do I need to use regular cream cheese? - Both regular and lighter Neufchatel cream cheese work just fine in Pepperoni Pepper Poppers' filling. Use whichever one you prefer.

• My pepper halves keep tipping sideways. How can I get them to sit level? - If the pepper halves don't sit level or are very tippy, you can cut a very thin slice from the bottom of the pepper to give it a flat spot to sit on. Just be careful to keep the slice very thin -- it's pretty easy to cut right through the entire bottom of the pepper by mistake.

• Can I make Pepperoni Pepper Poppers ahead of time and reheat them? - Yes, you can make Pepperoni Pepper Poppers ahead of time, but we don't recommend reheating them. Instead, prepare the poppers fully up to the point of baking. -- That means, make the filling, stuff the pepper halves, and top with the mini pepperoni slices. Then, cover and refrigerate the filled peppers. When you're ready to enjoy the Pepperoni Pepper Poppers, bake them just before serving rather than reheating.

Check out these other tasty little party bites:

• Baked Jalapeno Poppers
• Spinach Balls
• Spinach & Artichoke Dip Party Squares
• Easy Cucumber Pita Bites
• Jalapeno Pepper Jack Sausage Balls
• 3-Ingredient Crescent Sausage Bites
• Pork Tenderloin & Pimento Cheese Crostini Melts
• More appetizers & snacks

Thank you for stopping by The Kitchen is My Playground. We'd love to have you back soon!

recipes with mini bell peppers, pepperoni pepper poppers, mini pepper poppers, baby pepper poppers, pizza pepper poppers

Appetizers

American

Yield: 20-24 poppers

Author: Tracey | The Kitchen is My Playground

Pepperoni Pepper Poppers

Loaded with melty cheese and chopped pepperoni baked inside sweet mini bell peppers, these Pepperoni Pepper Poppers are simply popping with flavor. They're a perfect little savory treat for game day, parties, or after-school snacking. And as a bonus to their great flavor? -- They take only 6 simple ingredients to make.

Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 40 Min

Ingredients

• 10 to 12 multicolored mini bell peppers

Filling:

• 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 c. finely chopped pepperoni
• 2/3 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 tsp. dried basil
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• whole mini pepperoni (optional)

Instructions

1. Halve peppers lengthwise (from the tip through the stem) and remove the seeds. Set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl, stir together cream cheese, chopped pepperoni, mozzarella, dried basil, and salt until well combined.
3. Fill each pepper half with about 1 & 1/2 tablespoons of cream cheese mixture. Top with 2 or 3 whole mini pepperoni slices (optional).
4. Place, cut/filled sides up, in a baking dish or on a foil-lined baking sheet.
5. Bake at 400℉ for 18-20 minutes, until cheese is a little bubbly and beginning to lightly brown. Let stand about 5 minutes before serving.

TRACEY'S NOTES:

1. If the pepper halves don't sit level or are very tippy, cut a very thin slice from the bottom side of the pepper to give it a flat spot to sit on. Just be careful to keep the slice very thin -- it's easy to cut right through the entire bottom of the pepper.
2. You can cut up mini pepperoni for the "chopped pepperoni" component of the recipe. That way when topping the poppers with mini pepperoni slices, one package of mini pepperoni can serve both purposes in the recipe.

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