Mini sweet peppers, stuffed with smoky, cheesy spread, breaded, and fried. You can’t go wrong. I know, I know, the holidays are almost over and everyone has gained 10 pounds and feels like if they eat cheese again they’ll die. Give it a week and you’ll be ready for these, I promise.

These are a nice alternative when you may not want as much heat as the classic jalapeno poppers have. They take roughly 45 minutes to make (maybe even less) and look super impressive when served up to guests. This is one of my favourite new appetizers because it’s cheap, unique, and easy.

We ended up liking the filling so much we just spread it on raw peppers and ate it as-is. The breading technique for these works perfectly for pan-frying, but try not to shift it around a lot since the more you move it, the more of the coating you’ll lose.

Note: If you like a bit more heat, you can sub out the sweet peppers for hotter ones. Alternatively, you can also just go crazy with the chipotle and make the stuffing really hot. Your call.

Ingredients

• 1 8oz package of regular cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded (the sharper the better!)
• 3-4 tbsp. chipotles in adobo sauce, minced
• 1/2 small onion, minced
• 15-20 mini sweet peppers in assorted colours
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup Italian-style breadcrumbs
• Oil for frying

Method

In a large bowl, mix together cream cheese, cheddar cheese, chipotle peppers, and onion with a fork. Set aside, unrefridgerated, for 15 minutes to allow flavours to mingle. Set up your milk, flour, and breadcrumbs in separate bowls in the meantime.

Slice your peppers in half lengthwise and fill with cream cheese spread. The filling should just be at the brim of the pepper. Dip peppers in the milk, then into the flour, making sure each piece is coated all around. Allow to sit for 10 minutes. Now, take your partially coated peppers and dip them into the milk again, then into the breadcrumbs, rolling them to get a full coating. Repeat until all peppers are evenly coated.

In a large skillet, pour oil to over 1″ of the surface. When the oil is hot, add in as many peppers will fit at a time without touching. Fry until golden brown on all sides, about 7 minutes total. Drain on a paper towel and repeat until all peppers have been cooked. Serve hot on their own, or with a spicy dipping sauce of your choice!