RESET360 with Camille McLaughlin
March Pick: Snacks

Cottage Cheese Stuffed Peppers

Red bell pepper boats roasted until sweet, filled with whipped cottage cheese, parmesan, garlic, and scallion, and baked until puffed and golden.

Why you'll love Cottage Cheese Stuffed Peppers

These are warm, savory, and satisfying, the kind of snack that tides you over on a chilly March afternoon. Red bell peppers are cut into wide boats and roasted until they soften and sweeten, then filled with cottage cheese whipped smooth with parmesan, garlic, scallions, and oregano. In the oven the filling puffs and turns golden at the edges, like a little crustless quiche in a pepper.

Whipping the cottage cheese is what changes it. A minute in the food processor breaks down the curds into something silky, almost like ricotta, so the filling bakes smooth instead of lumpy. One egg binds it so it sets into soft, sliceable pieces instead of running out of the peppers. Roasting the peppers on their own first means they are tender by the time the filling is set.

Two boats make a snack with real staying power, and they are just as good cold from the refrigerator the next day.

Quick overview: This Cottage Cheese Stuffed Peppers takes 15 min of hands-on time and about 43 min in all and makes 4 servings, each 2 pepper boats. You'll need a sheet pan and a food processor.

Jump to recipe

Roasted red pepper halves stuffed with baked cottage cheese filling
Prep 15 minCook 28 minTotal 43 minServes 4Serving 2 pepper boatsYou'll need Sheet pan, Food processor

Ingredients

  • 2 large red bell peppers
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cups (16 oz) whole-milk cottage cheese
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/3 cup finely grated parmesan, divided
  • 1 clove garlic, finely grated
  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • a pinch of fine sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp sweet paprika
  • 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven: Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a sheet pan with parchment.
  2. Cut the boats: Cut each pepper lengthwise into quarters through the stem, so each piece keeps a bit of stem as a handle. Cut out the seeds and white ribs to make shallow boats.
  3. Roast the peppers: Brush the boats inside and out with the olive oil, sprinkle with the pinch of salt, and set them cut side up on the sheet pan. Roast for 10 minutes, until they just start to soften. A head start in the oven makes the peppers tender and sweet by the time the filling is cooked.
  4. Whip the filling: While the peppers roast, blend the cottage cheese in a food processor for about 1 minute, scraping down once, until smooth and glossy. Add the egg, half the parmesan, the garlic, oregano, and black pepper and pulse until combined, then stir in the scallions by hand so they stay in pieces.
  5. Fill and bake: Spoon the filling into the warm pepper boats, mounding it slightly. Sprinkle with the remaining parmesan and the paprika. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until the filling is puffed, set in the center, and golden at the edges, and reads 160°F (71°C).
  6. Cool and finish: Let the peppers cool on the pan for 5 minutes so the filling firms, then scatter with parsley. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Storage and leftovers

Refrigerate the cooled pepper boats in a covered container for up to 3 days. They are good cold, or rewarmed in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 8 to 10 minutes.

The whipped filling, without the egg, keeps in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Stir in the egg just before filling and baking.

Variations

  • Mini peppers: Halve 12 mini sweet peppers lengthwise, skip the first roast, and bake the filled halves for 12 to 15 minutes.
  • Spinach and feta: Stir 1 cup finely chopped baby spinach and 2 tablespoons crumbled feta into the filling in place of the scallions.
  • Herb and lemon: Add 1 teaspoon lemon zest and 2 tablespoons chopped dill to the filling in place of the oregano.
  • With heat: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes or a minced jalapeño to the filling.

Notes and tips

  • Choose wide peppers: Blocky peppers with flat sides make steady boats that hold the filling.
  • Whole-milk cottage cheese: Full-fat cottage cheese whips silky and bakes creamy. Look for a label of milk, cream, cultures, and salt.
  • Steady the boats: If a boat tips, trim a thin slice off the underside so it sits flat.
  • Make it a lunch: Serve four boats with a green salad and a handful of olives.

Nutrition and mindful eating

  • Cottage cheese brings plenty of protein, mostly casein, which digests slowly and is why a small snack carries you for hours.
  • Red bell peppers are one of the richest sources of vitamin C you can eat, and roasting them deepens their natural sweetness.
  • The fat in whole-milk cottage cheese, parmesan, and olive oil keeps the snack satisfying and slows how quickly it leaves your stomach.
  • Garlic, scallions, and oregano season it fully with only a pinch of added salt, since the cheese brings its own.
  • As you eat, notice the sweet, soft pepper against the creamy filling, and check in later: two boats should hold you steady for 2 to 3 hours, all the way to your next meal.

Frequently asked questions

Have a question about this Cottage Cheese Stuffed Peppers? Start here, with the questions people ask most.

Do I have to blend the cottage cheese?

Blending gives the smooth, creamy filling. Without it the curds bake into a looser, more textured filling, which some people like just as well.

Can I make them ahead?

Yes. Bake them up to 3 days ahead, refrigerate, and eat them cold or rewarmed.

Can I use ricotta?

Yes. Whole-milk ricotta works in place of the cottage cheese and needs no blending.

What color peppers work best?

Red, orange, or yellow peppers are sweetest. Green peppers are picked earlier and taste sharper.

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Tags: March Pick, Snacks, Mediterranean-Inspired