Mini Peppers Stuffed With Goat Cheese and Asparagus

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Hurry and make this, while asparagus is still cheap in the stores!

I needed a healthy appetizer for when my sister-in-laws came over for some wine the other night.  I had a bag of mini bell peppers, a bunch of asparagus, and some goat cheese in the fridge, and this appetizer came to life.  Besides those three ingredients, the only other things you need are some olive oil, red pepper flakes, and garlic.  Although simple in terms of the number of ingredients, these healthy bites pack some delicious flavour.  And those mini peppers are just so cute.

My sister-in-laws and I gobbled down an entire platter of these mini peppers...they are so worth the asparagus pee!  But actually, in addition to eating too much food and drinking too much wine, the whole point of getting together that evening was to have an occasion to put on our wedding dresses one last time.  We pre-planned to meet at my place and throw the old gowns on for the night, because why spend so much money to just get to wear them once, right?!  I had never dry-cleaned mine after the wedding, so it still had McDonalds ketchup on it from the drive-thru on the way home from my wedding.  My sister-in-law Caitlin had mustard on hers for a similar reason, so there was no judgement.  The dresses didn't stay on too long, on account of then being extremely uncomfortable, but we had fun!

Temporary insanity (L to R:  me, Caitlin, Serena)

Married three years, nine years, and one year.  

Anyways, these stuffed peppers were so good that I ended up making them as an appetizer the next night for dinner at my parents' house.  If you are looking for something that isn't a dip or a spread for an appetizer, this one's a keeper.

 

And if you like asparagus appetizers, you should also check out these Pickled Asparagus, Prosciutto, and Cream Cheese Appetizers for something delicious, quick, and easy.

For a printer-friendly version of any recipe, simply click 'Print' below the title of any blog post. Voila - a clean recipe without my ramblings or any pictures!

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Mini Peppers Stuffed With Goat Cheese and Asparagus

Makes: 30 pieces

Ingredients

• 15 mini bell peppers, cut in half, stem and seeds removed
• 10 asparagus spears, ends snapped off, and the remaining spear cut into three pieces
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 3/4 cup goat cheese
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Directions
Preheat your oven on broil setting.  In a medium bowl, toss the peppers and asparagus with the olive oil, salt, and pepper until well coated.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then spread the peppers and asparagus onto it in a single layer.  Place into oven and broil for 5 - 7 minutes, until the vegetables have started to soften.  Remove from oven, but leave the oven on.



Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mash together the goat cheese, garlic, and red pepper flakes, until soft and well combined.

Remove the asparagus from the baking sheet, and set aside for a few moments.  Assemble the peppers on the baking sheet so that they are on their backs (skin side down).  Spoon a teaspoon of the goat cheese mixture into each of the peppers, then top with a piece of asparagus.  Place the baking sheet back into the oven, and broil for 3 - 5 more minutes or until warm, but not long enough for the cheese to melt too much.  Serve warm.