These Stuffed Cherry Peppers are filled with a delicious herb & garlic cheese filling with sausage, then baked until bubbling and golden.
Ingredients
1/3lbItalian sausage(one link)
4ozcream cheesesoftened to room temperature
1/4cupbreadcrumbs*
1/4cuppacked grated parmesan cheese
2tbspminced scallion
3tbspminced parsley
1tbspminced garlic
salt
freshly ground black pepper
1largeegg
10ozfresh hot cherry peppers(you can also use the pickled peppers that come in a jar)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Remove the meat from the sausage casing and crumble the sausage into the pan.
Brown for about 5 minutes, breaking the meat up with a spatula, until cooked through and crispy. Let cool slightly, then chop into smaller pieces if needed (you don't want huge chunks of sausage in the filling).
In a large bowl mix to combine the sausage (and any drippings from the pan), the cream cheese, breadcrumbs, grated parmesan, scallion, parsley, and garlic. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I start with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper), then stir in the egg.
Halve the cherry peppers and remove the seeds and ribs with a melon baller.
Stuff each cherry pepper with a scoop of the filling.
Place on a sheet pan and roast for 20 minutes, until the peppers look softened and the filling is golden brown on top. Enjoy!
Notes
*You may use fresh breadcrumbs or dry breadcrumbs. If using dry, I recommended using Panko, but you can also use plain or Italian dry breadcrumbs.Storing leftovers: Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.Freezing: Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.Reheating: For best results, I recommend reheating in a 300F oven for about 10 minutes, until warmed through. Add an extra 5 minutes if reheating straight from frozen. You may also try the microwave, heating in 30-second intervals until warmed through.