Cheese Stuffed Peppers

Cheese stuffed peppers - The perfect low-carb and easy side dish that has a hint of sweetness and savory. Mini cheese and bacon stuffed peppers will soon be your go-to side dish!

Bell peppers and mini peppers are in season from November through May which makes this a great side dish or appetizer for the holidays! It's low-carb and gluten-free which means that almost everyone can enjoy these stuffed peppers!

This recipe was inspired by these meatball stuffed peppers. If you're looking for a main dish idea, those are delicious! But if you're looking for vegetable side dishes to add to your meal plan, then make sure to also take a peek at this delicious cauliflower baked in the oven.

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Ingredients for cheese stuffed peppers

• Mini sweet peppers
• Gouda cheese, sliced in to 1 inch slices and about ½ inch thick (or favorite cheese. Pepperjack, cheddar, etc.)
• Bacon, cooked and chopped in to small pieces

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Step 1: Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Step 2: Slice sweet peppers in half, vertically and remove seeds and membranes.

Step 4: Stuff peppers with a slice of Gouda

Step 5: Sprinkle equal amounts of bacon pieces on each pepper

Step 6: Place peppers, facing up, on a baking sheet

Step 7: Bake for 8-10 minutes or until cheese is melted

Hint: If you don't have time to cook bacon, you can also use bacon bits. Freshly cooked crispy bacon will taste better, but bacon bits work in a pinch.

Variations

There's a lot of different ways to spice up this recipe and make it your own! Meat lovers, vegetarian, spicy, and taco are all variations of this recipe!

• Spicy - add chili pepper flakes, jalapenos, or hot sauce to these keto stuffed peppers for an extra kick!
• Meat Lovers - Feel free to add ground beef, Italian sausage, or Canadian bacon to these stuffed mini peppers for the perfect appetizer for football games!
• Vegetarian - Skip the meat altogether and add extra spices, different types of cheese, or even add vegetables to these sweet peppers. Cream cheese and everything bagel seasoning would the perfect vegetarian option!
• Taco - Adding Mexican-style cheese (or cheddar cheese) with taco seasoning and ground beef would make great mini stuffed taco peppers! Serve with sour cream and fresh cilantro to complete the recipe!

Should peppers be precooked before stuffing?

No. You do not have to precook peppers before stuffing them. The peppers will stay crispy if you don't precook them.

Are mini sweet peppers the same as bell peppers?

Mini sweet peppers are smaller, sweeter, and have a more floral taste than bell peppers. Bell peppers are larger, have a slightly spicy taste, and have a crunchier texture. Making stuffed bell peppers is a great low-carb dinner idea!

How do you store stuffed peppers in the fridge?

To maximize freshness, you want to store these stuffed mini peppers in a shallow, airtight container, in the fridge. You can store these peppers for up to 4 days or until they get "soggy." You can also store them in plastic, airtight, baggies.

Can you eat mini sweet peppers raw?

Yes! Mini sweet peppers can be eaten raw just like bell peppers. It's important you make sure you wash your mini peppers and remove the seeds before eating. Raw mini peppers are great dipped in hummus, with a cream cheese filling, or eaten plain!

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