Cheesy Italian Sweet Pepper Bites
This post was sponsored by Fresh From Florida as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central, however all opinions expressed are my own. Cheesy Italian Sweet Pepper Bites Fresh From Florida Bell Peppers are now in season! Green Bell Peppers are the most common variety of pepper but we can’t stop there. We’re seeing red, oranges. purples and yellow peppers too! These are just green peppers that are allowed to ripen further which changes the flavor and adds sweetness to the peppers. Back in the day when I worked in commercial kitchens in Michigan when we would get cases of the red peppers to roast we’d call them “red gold”. Be sure to look for this label when shopping to be sure you are buying Fresh From Florida produce! Florida farmers make it possible for you to enjoy fresh produce all year long. I love supporting my local farmers every time I make a purchase that has the Fresh From Florida logo on it. I know that the vegetables and seafoods are of the highest quality and are available all year long. Peppers are high in Vitamin C supplying 200 percent of the vitamin’s daily value from one pepper. They are also a good source of niacin, copper, thiamin, folate and magnesium, green bell peppers also are a very good source of dietary fiber, potassium and manganese as well as vitamins A, B6, and K. I love the mini peppers that are so available right now in reds, yellows and orange. They are bred from the large green pepper to be smaller, crunchier and have fewer seeds. They are the perfect snacking size! Appetizers are one of my favorite uses for them. If you’re looking for hotter peppers don’t worry we grow them too! St. Augustine is know for their Datil Peppers and every October host a Datil Pepper Festival where you can purchase all things made from datils and watch chefs compete using this spicy pepper. These peppers have been Florida grown since the 1880’s! Here in Florida we grow them all, from sweet to hot. Fresh From Florida Zucchini and Summer Squash’s are available also right now. Sweet Corn is at it’s peak right now. It is amazing! Try our recipe for Slow Cooker Roasted Sweet Corn or maybe this delicious Corn “Crack” Dip. For more recipes Fresh From Florida has a terrific website with lots of tasty recipes. Follow the Fresh on social media and check out their Fresh recipe videos or on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram. Today I want to share a simple appetizer recipe with you using Fresh From Florida Mini Sweet Mini Peppers. I start with a jarred spaghetti sauce and doctor it up a bit. Then I clean the peppers, add a little sauce, some string cheese and bacon bits. Bake until the peppers are tender. There are so many ways to use these peppers as easy appetizers, try filling them with tuna or chicken salad (for a gluten free option), taco meat and cheese (baked) and topped with some crunchy corn chips or simply saute strips of the peppers in olive oil, balsamic vinegar and garlic and serve on grilled garlic bread. Assemble your ingredients. Fill with the sauce and pieces of the string cheese. After baking 10 minutes, add the bacon bits. Bake another 10 minutes or until golden brown and peppers are tender. Cheesy Italian Sweet Pepper Bites Author: Mary Ellen @ Recipes Food and Cooking Recipe type: Appetizer Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 30 mins Total time: 50 mins Serves: Serves 6 1 jar spaghetti sauce 1 lb. hamburger 1 teaspoon basil 1 bag Florida Sweet Mini Peppers 1 package string cheese or mozzarella bacon bits 1 jar spaghetti sauce 1 lb. hamburger 1 teaspoon basil 1 bag Florida Sweet Mini Peppers 1 package string cheese or mozzarella bacon bits Brown the hamburger. Add the spaghetti sauce and basil. Cook for 15 minutes. Remove the stem from the peppers with a paring knife. Cut the peppers in half. Place on a greased baking sheet. Fill the pepper half with the spaghetti sauce. Cut a piece of the cheese to fit in the center of the pepper. Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees. Add bacon bits to the top of the cheese. Bake another 10 minutes until golden brown and peppers are tender. Brown the hamburger. Add the spaghetti sauce and basil. Cook for 15 minutes. Remove the stem from the peppers with a paring knife. Cut the peppers in half. Place on a greased baking sheet. Fill the pepper half with the spaghetti sauce. Cut a piece of the cheese to fit in the center of the pepper. Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees. Add bacon bits to the top of the cheese. Bake another 10 minutes until golden brown and peppers are tender. Want to see of our other Fresh From Florida recipes? These are just a few of the recipes on this website using peppers. To easily find more use the Search this website box on any page. Chicken Cacciatori with Bell Peppers Stuffed Peppers Red Peppers with Green Beans and Feta Sweet and Sour Chicken Burrata with Sweet Pepper Relish Unstuffed Pepper Soup Pin It!