I love any dish that you can just pick up and pop in your mouth. In fact, I think that appetizers and Tapas or Meze top my list of favorite foods. I love little bites that can be served to guests without fuss, muss or the need for utensils. This dish is a perfect little finger food with a blast of flavor that won’t soon be forgotten.
This is not a complicated dish, but it does involve a little work. Stuffing tiny peppers is fairly labor-intensive and a bit messy, so definitely allow the filling to cool completely before attempting to stuff the peppers. I recommend the use of an iced-tea spoon or a piping bag for quick and simple results. (The back of the spoon is great for thinner peppers.)
When all was said and done, my oldest son and neighbor loved these. My middle (aged 9) thought they were a bit too much, but I’m sure he’ll love them when he gets older. As for me… Well, I ate all the leftovers myself.
What’s your favorite finger food? Are you a fan of tapas and meze? Do you have a favorite stuffed pepper recipe? We’d love to hear about it.
Feta and Spinach Stuffed Sweet Peppers
Ingredients:
- 12 -14 sweet peppers (baby bell peppers)
- 2 cups cooked long grain white rice
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 oz spinach
- 4 oz feta cheese
- 1/4 cup vegetable stock
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- The juice of 1 lemon
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until just shimmering. Add onions and cook until just translucent (about 3 minutes). Add garlic and cook an additional 2 minutes, or until fragrant.
Gently stir in spinach and cook until wilted. Add thyme, rice and stock. Stir well to combine. Cook until rice is heated through. Add lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and allow to cool at least 30 minutes before mixing in the feta.
(Mixture can be made a day in advance.)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cut the tops off of the peppers and remove seeds and veins. Gently stuff peppers with rice mixture and place on a baking sheet.
Bake at 400 degrees until peppers are softened and rice is heated through, about 20 minutes.
Allow to rest 5 minutes before serving.
Share and Enjoy!
What I would have done differently had I thought of it at the time:
I think I would have added another whole bag of spinach to the mix for a little extra flavor if I’d had it on hand, but otherwise this was a stunning little appetizer that was absolutely packed with flavor from the feta and lemon juice. I’ll definitely be making this again!
Don’t like feta? Use goat cheese instead, but cut the amount by 1/2, as it has a tendency to melt and run.
Links to other recipes like this:
- Couscous and Feta Stuffed Peppers, from Smitten Kitchen
- Feta Stuffed Peppers, from Seriously Good
- Barbecued Stuffed Peppers with Feta and Herbs, from More Than Burnt Toast
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
Love all the flavours here. I have some peppers that I have been trying to decide exactly what to do with.
This is definitely a good choice. Especially if they’re small peppers ;)
These look like the perfect little appetizer! I could make a meal out of appetizers easily! With a little wine, oh yea!
Hey, did you ever get to try that jar of cranberry relish I brought over at Christmas??? If not, dig it out and try it! ;)
Sometimes smaller is better, oh yeah
Yep, got o it shortly after you left. It was good stuff!
Yummy – these look and sound tasty. thanks for sharing! happy Friday!
Any time! Have a great weekend
Glad to see you are back to blogging… I was worried that you weren’t going to write anymore… I enjoy your recipes…
MMM
Nope, just super busy before the start of school, that’s all. no time for serious cooking, just prep for school. Now it’s back to work for me
Yeah, stuffing those little peppers is not fun. But the taste rewards are great :-)
Absolutely. Well worth the effort. I ate a ton of these little guys!
Great recipe – looks devine!
Thanks!
What a great idea! I’m going to a party where some of my friends are vegetarians so its always a challenge for me (Miss Meat USA ) to find appie ideas. Thanks!