Ever since I made Alexandra Stafford’s 4-Ingredient Balsamic Roasted Mini-Peppers, some rendition of them or another has been a go-to side dish or appetizer for me. I love adding in some spicy peppers, a big hit of garlic and then finishing the dish with cheese. The combination of totally caramelized peppers, warm cheese and sweet/tangy balsamic is totally addictive.
You can serve this dish as an appetizer with toasted, grilled or skillet-fried bread, spooned over a whole grain like farro or alongside simple roasted or grilled chicken.
The goat cheese will be totally creamy after a few minutes in the oven so I like to serve this warm. Feta is a nice substitute or even a soft blue cheese. Or you could leave the cheese out of the baking and just top the warm peppers with milky burrata or torn fresh mozzarella.
I can’t wait for this dish to become part of your repertoire.
Ingredients
- 4-5 cups mixed sweet peppers (baby bell peppers, large bell peppers, grilling peppers, anything), trimmed and sliced into 2 inch strips or left whole if baby
- 1 spicy pepper like jalapeños or serrano, seeded and sliced into 1/4 inch strips
- 8-10 fat garlic cloves, lightly smashed and peeled but left whole
- 1/3 cup evoo
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- Kosher salt to taste (about 1/2 tsp+ diamond crystal)
- Plenty of fresh ground black pepper
- 4-6 oz fresh goat cheese, crumbled into big chunks
- Lots of fresh basil leaves for finishing.
Method
- Preheat oven to 450. Toss peppers and garlic with evoo, balsamic, salt and pepper in a dish that will hold them in a snug single layer. Roast for 20 minutes on middle rack.
- Remove from oven, toss gently and top with goat cheese. Return to oven for another 5 minutes.
- Remove, top with fresh basil and enjoy warm with crusty toast, whole grains or alongside anything really.
Serves 4ish
Spin It
- Swap the goat cheese with feta or a soft blue cheese or cook the peppers fully and then tear burrata or mozzarella over the finished dish.
- Add cherry tomatoes to the peppers add the beginning.
- Trade the garlic for halved or quarter shallots.
- Add in canned, drained and rinsed white beans after the first 15 minutes of roasting.
- Serve as a warm salad tossed with spicy arugula or sturdy radicchio.
- Enjoy with crusty bread or tossed with a whole grain like farro or pasta.