Chicken Florentine Stuffed Peppers (Printable)
Bell peppers stuffed with chicken, spinach, and creamy cheeses, baked until golden and bubbly.
# 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 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 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
→ Pantry & Seasonings
10 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
11 - 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herb blend (basil, oregano, thyme)
12 - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
13 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
14 - Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
# Directions:
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 to 4 minutes until softened. Add the 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 and garlic, wilted spinach, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, half of the mozzarella cheese, cream cheese, Italian herbs, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. Mix thoroughly until all ingredients are evenly incorporated.
06 - Fill each blanched bell pepper evenly with the chicken Florentine mixture. Arrange the peppers upright in the prepared baking dish.
07 - Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese evenly over the tops 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 the peppers rest for 5 minutes before serving.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The creamy ricotta and spinach filling tastes like something you would order at a neighborhood Italian restaurant but it comes together in your own kitchen with almost no fuss.
- These peppers are naturally low carb and gluten free so they fit into almost any weeknight dinner plan without a second thought.
02 -
- Skip the blanching step and your peppers will come out of the oven still crunchy and tough, which completely changes the eating experience.
- Squeezing excess moisture out of the spinach after wilting prevents a watery pool at the bottom of each pepper.
03 -
- Mix the filling a day ahead and keep it covered in the fridge because the flavors meld overnight into something noticeably better.
- Broil the peppers for the last two minutes of cooking if you want those gorgeous dark spots on the cheese that make everyone reach for their phone to take a photo.