Fiesta Stuffed Mini Peppers ~ mini bell peppers loaded with bold, spicy, gooey melted cheese and crispy bacon. This easy appetizer grills in minutes.

Today’s recipe is brought to you by my daughter, Lauren Dezenski. Her Fiesta Stuffed Mini Peppers recipe is a family favorite and so delicious it just needs to be shared.

Sometimes a jalapeno popper is just too spicy ~ that’s what makes these Fiesta Peppers ideal ~ mini bell peppers instead of jalapenos, so the heat comes strictly from the level you supply in the gooey, melted cheese-bacon blend you supply. 

Bonus, you can assemble them the day before and grill them in under 10 minutes so no pans to wash afterward.

A little background . . .

I LOVE to eat, pair food with a large glass of wine, and get more than a little creative in the kitchen…I am my mother’s daughter.

Growing up in her kitchen I became enthralled with trying new things and was inspired by her desire to always put a personal touch on each and every meal.

Cooking meant time together and the promise of food that kept you eating past Thanksgiving-full. It’s about time this artistic home cook shared her recipes over the World Wide Web!

My absolute favorite way to eat is in the form of appetizers. Dips and things involving chips are generally my forte when bringing something to pass – fiesta, Mexicali, enchilada…are you seeing a theme?

I am ADDICTED to Mexican-style food and eat it way more often than one person should. Spicy, cheesy, bold flavored food…need I say more?

Recipe inspiration:

I was recently put in charge of apps at a family party and wanting to do something a little different I hopped on Pinterest for some quick inspiration.

Pinterest for me is like a black hole. I go on looking for recipe inspiration and end up pinning a cute dress, future vacation and a funny quote all before getting to that recipe I was looking for.

When I finally climbed my way out of that black hole I decided to take pieces from two recipes and combine the for one mouthwatering winner …Fiesta Stuffed Mini Peppers!

Fiesta Stuffed Mini Peppers Ingredients:

  • 18-20 mini sweet bell peppers seeded and left whole
  • 8 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 1 jalapeno (seeds/stems removed) minced
  • 1/4 cup red onion minced
  • 1 1/4 cup Fiesta Blend shredded cheese (optional: sharp cheddar + 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning)
  • 1/4 cups real bacon bits
  • 1/4 cup cilantro finely minced
  • cooking spray

How to make Fiesta Stuffed Mini Peppers:

Mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl except the bell peppers then set it aside. 

bowls of cheese filling for peppers before and after blending

Cut the top off 18-20 mini peppers and clear out any seeds.

Transfer the cheese mixture to a gallon sized zip top bag then cut the tip off the bottom of one corner of the bag to create a piping bag then pipe the filling into the peppers.

grid showing how to pipe filling into peppers

stuffed peppers on a white plate before grilling

Spray aluminum foil with cooking spray then lay the peppers on a pre-heated 350 degree grill. A grill basket can be used if you have one. 

fiesta peppers on the grill

Cook approximately 6-8 minutes per side or until the peppers are tender and the cheese is melted then serve right away. Any cheese that oozed out of the peppers can be pushed back in with a spoon.

fiesta peppers after grilling showing char marks and melted cheese

Can I bake the peppers instead of grilling?

Absolutely! Line a baking sheet with foil and bake at 350 for about 15 minutes or until the peppers are softened and the cheese is melted (turn halfway through).

How can I customize this recipe?

You can easily customize this recipe by adding black beans or leftover shredded chicken.

Finally, this tasty appetizer deserves a equally good beverage. Enjoy!

pinterest pin shows closeup of grilled stuffed peppers

If you tried this Fiesta Stuffed Mini Peppers recipe or any other on the blog then I’d love to hear what you think with a star rating in the recipe box or comment below. 

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Fiesta Stuffed Mini Peppers

Fiesta Stuffed Mini Peppers ~ mini bell peppers loaded with spicy cheese and bacon. Easy,grills minutes.
5 from 1 vote
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 8
Calories

Ingredients
  

  • 18-20 mini bell peppers
  • 1 jalapeno seeds/stems removed
  • 1 1/4 cup Fiesta Blend shredded cheese Optional: shredded cheddar + 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
  • 1/4 cup bacon bits prepackaged store type
  • 1/4 cup cilantro finely minced

Instructions
 

  • Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl except the peppers then set aside.
  • Cut the top off 18-20 mini peppers and using a paring knife clear out any seeds and stems.
  • Transfer the cheese blend into a zip top bag then cut the bottom corner off the bottom of the bag to form a piping bag.
  • Pipe the cheese into the prepared peppers.
  • Spray a sheet of aluminum foil with cooking spray and lay the peppers on a pre-heated 350 degrees grill. A grill basket can also be used if you have one. Cook 6-8 minutes per side or until the peppers are tender and the cheeses are melted then serve right away.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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