If you’ve been looking for great finger foods but don’t really like spice this is the one for you! They’re a little bit sweet, a little bit salty, and super tasty. This has become one of our favorite finger foods and has found it’s place in our normal rotation, especially on game days. Personally, I LOVE jalapenos and jalapeno poppers. One day years ago we were shopping for supplies to make jalapeno poppers and saw these sweet peppers were BOGO at the store. After a long debate we decided to give it a whirl and replace the jalapeno with these sweet peppers and I’m SO happy that we did!
Pepper poppers of any type are a little time consuming but totally worth it. My husband and I like to make them together while we’re hanging out so the process goes a little quicker. But it is totally doable on your own as well. This meal can also be done in steps so it doesn’t have to be done all at once.
Hints and Tips For Success
Peppers
These are fairly easy to make but there are a few things worth discussing. First of all, peppers can range in size greatly. Sometimes you get a ton of small ones in a package and other times you’ll see them only having a few because they are so large. This typically doesn’t make much of a difference because they’re good whether they’re large or small but having deep peppers may require extra cream cheese. If you see that the peppers have a lot of extra room in them it might be wise to make the cream cheese mixture bigger.
When cutting the peppers I like to slice them longways and cut right through the stem. It’s totally up to you whether you want to leave the stems on or remove them but I suggest removing them. These peppers are much softer when cooked so it’s easy to accidentally eat the stems as they tend to fall off when you touch them.
After your peppers are cut in half I use a spoon to gently scoop out the seeds and any other inner pieces. It feels hard at first but it becomes easier as you go.
Lay all cut and cleaned peppers on the parchment lined baking sheet when finished.
Cream Cheese Mixture
The best part about these peppers is the yummy cream cheese mixture that goes on the inside. I wrote this recipe using only 1 8oz block of cream cheese. If you like extra cream cheese or have extra large peppers I highly suggest using at least another 4oz or more.
If you end up having extras it goes great on a bagel or in a tortilla wrap with cold cuts. Yum!
This recipe can be changed based on your preferences. Feel free to leave out the cajun seasoning if you really don’t like spice. I prefer to add it because it give it a nice, almost smoky flavor.
Filling The Peppers
This is another step that can depend on your preferences. I like to fill them completely but scrape the mixture so it is flat and equal to the edges of the pepper. If they exceed the edge of the pepper they can come out when cooking and make a mess. It’s delicious either way though.
When filling the peppers I like to use a kitchen spoon. It’s pretty messy so you can wear gloves if you’d like.
Bacon
This part can range a ton because it depends on how large/small your peppers are. I like to get a pound of bacon and cut the whole package into thirds. It works great with kitchen scissors or a knife.
I like to place one piece of bacon on top of each pepper, if there are large peppers sometimes I’ll add a second piece of bacon. Remember that bacon will shrink quite a bit during the baking process so don’t worry about it hanging over the edge of the peppers.
You will likely have extra bacon leftover. You can throw it on the edges of peppers that might need it or save it for another meal.
Cooking Time
You’ll want to preheat the oven to 350 degrees. The cooking time will vary widely based on how thick your bacon is and how you like your bacon cooked. I cooked mine 25 minutes and then started adding 5 minutes at a time until I was happy with the bacon done-ness. The timing will range drastically between soft bacon and well done. The peppers will be done no matter what so just make sure the bacon is the color you like and then you’ll be ready to eat.
When you pull them out of the oven make sure you let them sit for about 5 minutes. Hot cream cheese is not your friend.
Can these be made ahead of time?
Absolutely! That’s the best part of these. We typically make them earlier in the day and store them uncooked in the fridge until we’re ready to bake them. They’re best fresh but also work great as leftovers with a quick microwave.
You can also prep these in steps. For example, the cream cheese mixture can be made earlier and left in a bowl, the bacon can be cut early, the peppers can be cut and scooped out beforehand. You can also put them completely together and wait until you’re ready.
Equipment
- Sheet Pan
- Parchment Paper
- Spoon
- Bowl
- Scissors
Ingredients
- Sweet Tricolor Peppers Feel free to use jalapenos if you'd like some spice
- 8 Oz Softened Cream Cheese If you're using large peppers or like to have extra filling I highly suggest adding an extra 4oz of cream cheese.
- 1 Cup Shredded Cheese I used a blend of 4 cheddar
- 1 lb Bacon This will depend on how many peppers your package has. They range in size. I like to buy a pound of bacon and then save the rest for breakfast.
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Onion Powder
- 1 tsp Cajun Seasoning Optional, gives a little spice but not much
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 Sprig Green Onions Optional, but adds a nice flavor
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and place a sheet of parchment paper on the baking sheet.
- Wash peppers and quickly pat them dry.
- Slice peppers in half longways so you have two pieces.
- Using a spoon, you will want to scoop all the insides out of the peppers, I also like to remove the stem completely. Removing the stem is optional but I like it better so you don't accidentally eat it.
- In a separate mixing bowl, add softened cream cheese, cheddar cheese, all seasonings, and green onions. Mix well by folding it in on itself until it's a cohesive mixture.
- Spoon the cream cheese mixture into the peppers directly on the parchment lined baking sheet. I like to scoop it and leave it flat at the top edge of the peppers.
- Once all peppers are filled you will need to prepare your bacon. Simply cut the package into thirds or if you'd prefer you can cut each piece individually with scissors so your leftover bacon isn't cut.
- Lay a piece of bacon on top of each pepper. If you have extra bacon and large peppers you can add a second piece if you'd like. The bacon shrinks up considerably when baking so don't worry about any overlapping.
- Place baking sheet in your preheated 350 degree oven. Bake time will depend on how well done you like your bacon. I baked mine for 25 minutes and would add 5 minute intervals until it was to my liking. I believe it was around 35 minutes total. This will range for everyone depending on how thick your bacon is. I highly suggest checking periodically.
- When done you can plate it or if you're like us we just eat it strait off the pan. Remember, this will be SUPER hot when it comes out and that cream cheese can really scald you so be careful.
- Enjoy!! They also heat up great as leftovers. We just throw them in the microwave for 30-60 seconds.
Thank you so much for visiting! I hope you absolutely love these peppers! You may notice affiliate links within the recipe. We receive a small commission at no extra cost to you when you purchase any items from our links or our Amazon Storefront HERE. Thank you so much for your love and support!
Leave a Reply