Chicken Florentine Stuffed Peppers (Printable version)
Bell peppers stuffed with chicken, spinach, and three cheeses, baked until bubbly and golden.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Meats
01 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced
→ Vegetables
02 - 4 large bell peppers (any color), tops cut off and seeds removed
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
09 - 2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
→ Pantry & Seasonings
10 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
11 - 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herbs (basil, oregano, thyme)
12 - 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
13 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
14 - Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
# How to Make It:
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 diced onion and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until softened. Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional 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 mixing bowl, combine the cooked chicken, sautéed onion, garlic, spinach, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, half of the mozzarella, 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 mozzarella cheese over the top of each stuffed pepper.
08 - Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the peppers are tender and the cheese on top is golden and bubbly.
09 - Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
# Expert tips:
01 -
- The ricotta and cream cheese blend makes every bite impossibly creamy without needing a heavy sauce.
- Blanching the peppers before baking is the small step that guarantees they turn tender without collapsing into a soggy mess.
02 -
- Do not skip the blanching step, raw peppers take far longer to soften in the oven and the filling will dry out before the pepper walls become tender.
- Let the sauteed spinach mixture cool before adding it to the cheeses, otherwise the ricotta turns grainy and the mozzarella starts clumping unevenly.
03 -
- When choosing peppers at the store, look at the bottom and pick the ones with four lobes, they sit flatter and hold more filling than three lobed peppers.
- Mix the filling a day ahead and store it covered in the fridge, then stuff and bake when you are ready, the flavors meld overnight and dinner comes together in under ten minutes of hands on time.