Chicken Florentine Stuffed Peppers (Printable Version)
Bell peppers stuffed with chicken, spinach and three cheeses, baked to golden perfection.
# What You'll Need:
→ Meats & Proteins
01 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, diced or shredded
→ Vegetables
02 - 4 large bell peppers (any color), tops cut 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 shredded mozzarella cheese
08 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
→ Pantry & Seasonings
09 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
10 - 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
11 - Salt and black pepper, to taste
→ Topping
12 - 1/2 cup marinara sauce
13 - 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, for topping
# Method:
01 - Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
02 - Cut the tops off the bell peppers and remove the seeds and membranes. Lightly brush the peppers with olive oil and set aside.
03 - Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and sauté for 2–3 minutes until softened. Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Add the chopped spinach to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove the skillet from heat and let cool slightly.
05 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked chicken, spinach mixture, ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, dried Italian herbs, salt, and black pepper. Mix thoroughly until evenly combined.
06 - Fill each bell pepper evenly with the chicken Florentine mixture, pressing gently to pack the filling.
07 - Arrange the stuffed peppers upright in a baking dish. Spoon marinara sauce over each pepper and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese.
08 - Pour about 1/4 cup water into the bottom of the baking dish to prevent the peppers from sticking.
09 - Cover the dish loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for another 10 minutes until the cheese is golden and the peppers are tender.
10 - Remove from the oven and let the peppers cool slightly for 5 minutes before serving.
# Chef's Tips:
01 -
- The ricotta keeps the filling impossibly creamy without needing a heavy sauce, which was a happy accident from the night I ran out of cream.
- Everything cooks in one skillet and one baking dish, so cleanup is surprisingly painless for something that looks this impressive.
02 -
- Do not skip the water in the bottom of the baking dish, because I did once and spent the next morning scrubbing burnt marinara off ceramic.
- Covering with foil for the first 25 minutes is essential, as uncovered peppers will wrinkle and dry out before the filling heats through.
03 -
- Use a muffin tin to hold the peppers upright if your baking dish is too wide and they keep tipping over.
- Let the spinach mixture cool for a few minutes before mixing with the cheeses so the ricotta does not melt into a puddle before it gets into the oven.