Mini Stuffed Bell Peppers

 I could not resist buying a little bag of these gems this past week! How adorable are these?! I had no idea what I was going to do with them. All I could think of was maybe making a mini version of my Turkey & Wild Rice Stuffed Peppers. 

But then I saw a recipe using these little peppers in the most recent issue of Cooking Light that looked amazing so I scanned my fridge for the ingredients and adapted this recipe using what I had. (and some extras! like bacon!)

They came out wonderful! We ate them as a side but these could totally be an appetizer too! 

Mini Stuffed Bell Peppers

recipe by Sabrina W. for eat.drink.and be merry.

adapted from Cooking Light Magazine

serves 4

8 Mini Bell Peppers

1/3 cup cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons sour cream or plain yogurt

2 green onions, white & green parts, thinly sliced

3 slices of bacon, diced

1/4 of a red onion, minced

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

2 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Prepare your mini bell peppers by slicing them lengthwise and scooping out all the seeds.

In a cast iron skillet, cook your chopped bacon until crispy. Remove your bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside in a small dish. Add your minced onion and sauté slowly over med-low heat until translucent. Add in your minced garlic and cook for one more minute. Set aside in the dish along with your bacon and let cool.

In a separate dish, mix together cream cheese, sour cream, green onions, cilantro, lemon juice, and lemon zest.

Grill your peppers in your cast iron skillet about 4 to 5 minutes each side. Transfer to a plate and let cool for 2 minutes. Mix your bacon-onion mixture into your cream cheese mixture. With a small spoon stuff your peppers and transfer them back into the skillet on low heat to warm through before serving. (about 3 minutes)