Chicken Florentine Stuffed Peppers (Printable)
Bell peppers stuffed with chicken, spinach, and three cheeses baked to golden bubbly perfection.
# 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 seeded
03 - 2 cups fresh baby spinach, chopped
04 - 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
→ Dairy
06 - 1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
07 - 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
08 - 1 cup shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese, divided use
09 - 2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened to room temperature
→ Pantry and Seasonings
10 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
11 - 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herb blend (basil, oregano, thyme)
12 - 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
13 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
14 - Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
# How To Make It:
01 - Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with olive oil or nonstick spray, ensuring it is large enough to hold the peppers upright.
02 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Carefully add the prepared bell peppers and blanch for 3 minutes until slightly softened. Drain thoroughly and set aside to cool.
03 - Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until translucent and softened. Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds until fragrant.
04 - Add the chopped spinach to the skillet with the aromatics and sauté, stirring frequently, until fully wilted, approximately 2 minutes. Remove the skillet from heat and allow the mixture to cool slightly.
05 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the shredded chicken, sautéed onion-garlic-spinach mixture, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, half of the mozzarella (1/2 cup), cream cheese, dried Italian herbs, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. Fold everything together until evenly incorporated.
06 - Spoon the chicken Florentine filling evenly into each blanched bell pepper, packing gently. Arrange the stuffed peppers upright in the prepared baking dish.
07 - Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese evenly over the top of each stuffed pepper.
08 - Bake uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes, until the peppers are fork-tender and the cheese on top is melted, golden, and bubbling.
09 - Remove the dish from the oven and let the peppers rest for 5 minutes before serving. This allows the filling to set and makes for easier plating.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The ricotta and cream cheese mixture keeps every bite ridiculously moist, even on leftover peppers reheated the next day.
- You get a complete, satisfying meal inside an edible container, which means almost no cleanup.
02 -
- Skipping the blanching step will leave you with firm, slightly crunchy peppers that fight against the creamy filling instead of complementing it.
- Letting the spinach mixture cool slightly before mixing it into the cheeses prevents the ricotta from turning grainy or warm on one side.
03 -
- Use a small spoon to scrape out every seed and membrane from inside the peppers, as any leftover bits add an unpleasant bitterness to each bite.
- Mixing the filling with your hands instead of a spoon ensures the cream cheese gets evenly distributed throughout every single pepper.