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I love any yummy thing that you can just pick up and pop in your mouth. In fact, I think that appetizers and Tapas or Meze top my list of favorite foods. I love little bites that can be served to guests without fuss, muss or the need for utensils. This dish is a perfect little finger food with a blast of flavor that won’t soon be forgotten.

This is not a complicated recipe, but it does involve a little work. Stuffing tiny peppers is fairly labor-intensive and a bit messy, so definitely allow the filling to cool completely before attempting to stuff the peppers. I recommend the use of an iced-tea spoon or a piping bag for quick and simple results. (The back of the spoon is great for thinner peppers.)

When all was said and done, my oldest son and neighbor loved these. My middle (aged 9) thought they were a bit too much, but I’m sure he’ll love them when he gets older. As for me… Well, I ate all the leftovers myself.

What’s your favorite finger food? Are you a fan of tapas and meze? Do you have a favorite stuffed pepper recipe? We’d love to hear about it.

14 appetizers

Feta and Spinach Stuffed Sweet Peppers

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Wait Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

12 -14 sweet peppers (baby bell peppers)
2 cups cooked long grain white rice
1 medium onion, chopped
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz spinach
4 oz feta cheese
1/4 cup vegetable stock
1/4 tsp dried thyme
The juice of 1 lemon
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until just shimmering. Add onions and cook until just translucent (about 3 minutes). Add garlic and cook an additional 2 minutes, or until fragrant.
Gently stir in spinach and cook until wilted. Add thyme, rice and stock. Stir well to combine. Cook until rice is heated through. Add lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and allow to cool at least 30 minutes before mixing in the feta.
(Mixture can be made a day in advance.)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cut the tops off of the peppers and remove seeds and veins. Gently stuff peppers with rice mixture and place on a baking sheet.
Bake at 400 degrees until peppers are softened and rice is heated through, about 20 minutes.
Allow to rest 5 minutes before serving.
Share and Enjoy!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 109Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 122mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 2gSugar: 6gProtein: 3g

What I would have done differently had I thought of it at the time:

I think I would have added another whole bag of spinach to the mix for a little extra flavor if I’d had it on hand, but otherwise this was a stunning little appetizer that was absolutely packed with flavor from the feta and lemon juice. I’ll definitely be making this again!

Don’t like feta? Use goat cheese instead, but cut the amount by 1/2, as it has a tendency to melt and run.

Links to other recipes like this:

Couscous and Feta Stuffed Peppers, from Smitten Kitchen
Feta Stuffed Peppers, from Seriously Good
Barbecued Stuffed Peppers with Feta and Herbs, from More Than Burnt Toast

14 Comments

Name: Feta and Spinach Stuffed Sweet Peppers
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 14
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 12 -14 sweet peppers (baby bell peppers); 2 cups cooked long grain white rice; 1 medium onion, chopped; 2-4 cloves garlic, minced; 8 oz spinach; 4 oz feta cheese; 1/4 cup vegetable stock; 1/4 tsp dried thyme; The juice of 1 lemon; 2 Tbsp. olive oil; Salt and pepper to taste

bellini valli on August 19, 2010 at 8:57 am
Love all the flavours here. I have some peppers that I have been trying to decide exactly what to do with.
- Jerry on August 23, 2010 at 10:28 am
  This is definitely a good choice. Especially if they’re small peppers ;)
megan on August 20, 2010 at 8:23 am
These look like the perfect little appetizer! I could make a meal out of appetizers easily! With a little wine, oh yea!
Hey, did you ever get to try that jar of cranberry relish I brought over at Christmas??? If not, dig it out and try it! ;)
- Jerry on August 23, 2010 at 10:29 am
  Sometimes smaller is better, oh yeah
  Yep, got o it shortly after you left. It was good stuff!
cooknbooknbeadn on August 20, 2010 at 10:22 am
Yummy – these look and sound tasty. thanks for sharing! happy Friday!
- Jerry on August 23, 2010 at 10:29 am
  Any time! Have a great weekend
M. Mancuso on August 21, 2010 at 7:22 am
Glad to see you are back to blogging… I was worried that you weren’t going to write anymore… I enjoy your recipes…
MMM
- Jerry on August 23, 2010 at 10:30 am
  Nope, just super busy before the start of school, that’s all. no time for serious cooking, just prep for school. Now it’s back to work for me
Nate @ House of Annie on August 22, 2010 at 5:08 am
Yeah, stuffing those little peppers is not fun. But the taste rewards are great :-)
- Jerry on August 23, 2010 at 10:30 am
  Absolutely. Well worth the effort. I ate a ton of these little guys!
Finger Food on August 22, 2010 at 1:03 pm
Great recipe – looks devine!
- Jerry on August 23, 2010 at 10:31 am
  Thanks!
Heather in SF on March 3, 2012 at 7:53 pm
What a great idea! I’m going to a party where some of my friends are vegetarians so its always a challenge for me (Miss Meat USA ) to find appie ideas. Thanks!
Veronique on November 24, 2012 at 12:30 pm
I just made this for my 1 year old and we both loves it!!! She chomped down the spinach and yellow bell pepper pieces like there’s no tomorrow!!!! I just added the diced bell peper to the dish wih the other ingredients & heated until it was all warm, then let it cool down a little before adding the feta. Thanks for the recipe!!

Feta and Spinach Stuffed Sweet Peppers