Chicken Florentine Stuffed Peppers (Print Page)
Bell peppers stuffed with chicken, spinach, and creamy three-cheese blend, 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 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
→ Pantry & Seasonings
10 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
11 - 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herb blend (basil, oregano, thyme)
12 - 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
13 - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
→ Optional
14 - Pinch of red pepper flakes
# 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 diced onion and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until softened. Add the minced garlic and cook for 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 and spinach mixture, 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 evenly 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 over the top of each stuffed pepper.
08 - Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the peppers are tender and the cheese is melted, golden, and bubbly.
09 - Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The ricotta and cream cheese mixture makes every bite unbelievably creamy without needing a heavy sauce.
- Blanching the peppers before baking is a small step that guarantees they turn knife-tender every single time.
02 -
- Do not skip blanching unless you enjoy peppers with a tough, fibrous bite that fights back against the creamy filling.
- Let the spinach mixture cool before combining it with the cheeses, or the ricotta will turn grainy and the mozzarella will clump unevenly.
03 -
- Pick peppers that are roughly the same size so they finish cooking at the same time and everyone gets a fair portion.
- Mix the filling with your hands rather than a spoon to feel when everything is evenly distributed and the texture is just right.