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 seeds removed
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
09 - 2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
→ Pantry and Seasonings
10 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
11 - 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herbs (basil, oregano, thyme)
12 - 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
13 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
14 - Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
# How To Make It:
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 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, garlic, and spinach mixture. Add the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, half of the mozzarella cheese, cream cheese, dried Italian herbs, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. Mix thoroughly until all ingredients are evenly incorporated.
06 - Divide the chicken Florentine filling evenly among the blanched bell peppers, packing it generously. Arrange the stuffed peppers upright in the prepared baking dish.
07 - Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese over the top 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 the baking dish from the oven and let the peppers rest for 5 minutes before serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- It turns leftover chicken into something that feels completely new and special without much effort.
- The ricotta and cream cheese make the filling impossibly creamy, almost like a baked pasta without the pasta.
- Everything cooks in one dish, which means cleanup is genuinely minimal.
02 -
- Do not skip blanching the peppers, raw peppers will not soften enough in the oven and you will end up with crunchy shells.
- Let the spinach mixture cool slightly before mixing with the cheeses or the heat will make the ricotta runny and hard to stuff.
03 -
- Check all your cheese and spice labels for hidden gluten if you are cooking for someone with celiac sensitivity.
- Choose peppers that are roughly the same size so they all finish cooking at the same time.