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We enjoyed this appetizer this past Sunday. The vibrant red color and the heart-like shape had me thinking about the upcoming Hallmark holiday and I thought it would be a perfect recipe to share in case anyone is looking for something new and tasty to serve.
Peppadew peppers are small and sweet piquanté peppers from South Africa. They are stemmed, seeded, and pickled. The sweet flavor and the pickling process remove a majority of the heat, so they can be enjoyed by all. My children adore them. They are stuffed with a mixture of feta cheese, cottage cheese, garlic and chives.
When I make these, I prefer to use feta in block form. I find it creamier and less salty than the pre-crumbled feta. I also use 4% milk fat cottage cheese because that is what I keep in my refrigerator. Simply purée the ingredients (I use my Cuisinart mini-prep) and then transfer the mixture to a a pastry bag to easily fill the peppers. If you don’t have a pastry bag, just spoon the mixture into a ziploc bag and cut off a small tip of a corner and proceed with the recipe. Then garnish with chopped fresh chives and a drizzle of good olive oil. Serve them on small plates for tapas or plate them all together and allow guests to serve themselves with toothpicks or small bamboo forks (the kids like these). They are simple and delicious.
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Peppadew Peppers stuffed with Feta, Garlic, and Chives
Ingredients
- 16 jarred Peppadew peppers
- 2 ounces block feta cheese, crumbled
- 4 tablespoons cottage cheese
- 2 garlic cloves, grated on a microplane
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives, plus extra for garnish
- Pinch of Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Remove the peppers from the jar and drain on a plate lined with paper towels.
- In the bowl of a small food processor, process the feta, cottage cheese, and garlic until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and process again. Remove the mixture to a small bowl. Stir in the chives and season with salt and pepper. Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag and evenly fill each pepper. Transfer the filled peppers to a plate and garnish with chopped fresh chives and drizzle with olive oil. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These look delicious! I'm putting these on my "To Do" List!!! Can you substitute goat cheese for the feta? Just asking since I don't know the taste of the peppers like you. Oh, and….where did you find the peppers? At a local grocer or a specialty shop?
Erin-
Goat cheese is another nice pairing with these peppers, but I have never subbed it in this recipe. I buy a 14 oz jar from my local grocery store that has a few more specialty items than other chain stores.
Yes, substitute goat cheese then bake the stuffed peppers until the cheese is nice and gooey, then drizzle with reduced balsamic vinegar…yum!