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Here is a delicious appetizer recipe that is certain to impress guests — Herby Goat Cheese Stuffed Peppadews!
I was inspired by a local pizza restaurant, Fireside Pies, to create this recipe. At Fireside, one of the appetizers is peppadew peppers that are stuffed with goat cheese and fire-roasted, drizzled with a cilantro pesto and topped with candied pecans. They are just delightful and I could probably eat the entire appetizer myself — no shame here. With this recipe, I’ve created an easy at-home rendition of the dish using store-bought pesto and chopped walnuts.
If you’ve never had a Peppadew pepper before, they are SO delicious. Peppadew is the brand name for the pickled grape-size red pepper known as Juanita. Peppadew is a trademarked brand name of South African food company Peppadew International Ltd. Peppadew Peppers have a unique, delicious taste – a mixture of peppery and sweet, with a distinctive flavor. While the term “pepper” can be a little daunting these peppers have a very mild heat.
Peppadews stay pretty crisp in the pickle brine, which makes them the perfect vehicle for stuffing! Goat cheese is a very common pairing with Peppadew peppers and here, I’ve simply stuffed the Peppadew cavity with herbed goat cheese. Next, I toss them in an oven-safe baking dish with a lovely pesto vinaigrette and bake until warm. The end result? A freaking delicious appetizer you will not be able to stop eating.
These Herby Goat Cheese Stuffed Peppadews are a great appetizer when entertaining because you can simply stuff the peppadews ahead of time and prep your pesto vinaigarette then when your guests arrive, drizzle the vinaigrette over the pre-stuffed peppers and bake for just 10 minutes! A delightful, homemade appetizer that will be on the table in no time!
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Herby Goat Cheese Stuffed Peppadews
Ingredients
- 20 ounces Peppadew peppers, drained (about 30-35 peppers)
- 5 ounces herbed goat cheese log
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp pesto *I use store-bought
- ¼ cup roughly chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Carefully fill the cavity of the peppadew peppers with the herbed goat cheese.
- Place the stuffed peppers into a small, oven safe dish.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, white wine vinegar, and pesto until well combined. Drizzle ¾ of the mixture (reserving the last bit for later) over the stuffed peppers. Sprinkle the top with the chopped walnuts.
- Transfer to the oven and bake until hot, about 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and gently give the peppers a toss. Drizzle the top with the remaining pesto mixture. Serve immediately with toothpicks and enjoy!
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi! What brand of store bought pesto do you like? Thanks!
Here, I used the Trader Joe’s Vegan Pesto (with cashews and kale).
Can’t wait to make these.
Looks delish but I’ve never seen this type of pepper at grocery store, would I need to go to somewhere like Whole Foods or central market?
So, at places like Central Market and Whole Foods– you’d find the Peppadews in the olive bar section that are great. But you can also find them at most grocery stores (I’ve seen them at my Tom Thumb) in the jarred olive section. Just make sure you get mild, not “hot”. Trader Joe’s Also has them and they are labeled as “Hot & Sweet Cherry Peppers”. Those work, also!