Chicken Florentine Stuffed Peppers (Print Version)
Bell peppers stuffed with chicken, spinach, and a blend of three cheeses, baked until golden and bubbly.
# What You Need:
→ Meats
01 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced
→ Vegetables
02 - 4 large bell peppers (any color), tops cut off and seeded
03 - 2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
04 - 1 small onion, finely diced
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
→ Dairy
06 - 1 cup ricotta cheese
07 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
08 - 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided use
09 - 2 tbsp cream cheese, softened
→ Pantry & Seasonings
10 - 2 tbsp olive oil
11 - 1/2 tsp dried Italian herbs (basil, oregano, thyme)
12 - 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
13 - 1/2 tsp salt
14 - Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
# How To Make:
01 - Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a baking dish large enough to hold the peppers upright.
02 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the prepared bell peppers and blanch for 3 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.
03 - Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant.
04 - Add the chopped spinach to the skillet and sauté until wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let the mixture cool slightly.
05 - In a large bowl, combine the cooked chicken, sautéed onion, garlic, spinach, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese, cream cheese, Italian herbs, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. Mix thoroughly until all ingredients are fully incorporated.
06 - Fill each blanched bell pepper evenly with the chicken Florentine mixture. Arrange the stuffed peppers upright in the prepared baking dish.
07 - Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese evenly over the tops of each stuffed pepper.
08 - Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the peppers are tender and the cheese on top is golden and bubbly.
09 - Remove from the oven and let the peppers rest for 5 minutes before serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The creamy ricotta and spinach filling tastes like something you would order at a little Italian trattoria, not something you whipped up on a weeknight.
- Everything cooks in one baking dish, which means cleanup is almost embarrassingly easy.
02 -
- Skip the blanching step and your peppers will crunch like raw salad while the filling overcooks waiting for them to soften.
- Squeeze excess moisture out of the spinach before mixing it in, or you will end up with a watery pool at the bottom of each pepper.
03 -
- Mix the filling a day ahead and store it covered in the fridge because the flavors deepen overnight and it saves you time on busy evenings.
- Use a melon baller to hollow out the peppers cleanly without tearing the sides.