Pizza pepper poppers are a delicious, bite-sized game-day snack! Mini sweet peppers are filled with marinara, mozzarella and tiny pepperoni, then roasted until warm and melty. Handheld and poppable, they’re a fun appetizer for parties or casual nights in.
Hi — today I’m sharing a super simple idea that makes entertaining easy.
Basically you halve mini sweet peppers, roast them briefly, fill with sauce, cheese and pepperoni, then return them to the oven until the cheese bubbles. They turn out sweet, savory and perfectly poppable.
This is one of those “not really a recipe” recipes — more of an idea — but it’s ideal for football season and easy weeknight snacking.
We keep mini sweet peppers on our grocery list weekly. They’re great sliced into salads, tossed into soups, used on sheet pans, or served with dips like hummus or feta. They’re sweet enough that kids love them too.
Over the years I’ve made mini pepper nachos by filling these same peppers with taco meat and cheese — they’re a staple. The pizza version is just as simple and just as delicious.
Customizing these is easy: use your favorite pizza toppings. My usual method — which I recommend — is to season and roast the peppers first for a few minutes. That step intensifies their sweetness and softens them slightly, and because they’re small it doesn’t take long.
How I usually make them
I start by seasoning and roasting the pepper halves for just a short time. Then I spoon in a little marinara, sprinkle with shredded mozzarella and top with mini pepperoni. Some peppers are tiny, so you may only use a few teaspoons of sauce and a light sprinkle of cheese on those.
Return them to the oven until the cheese melts and gets bubbly. Finish with a dusting of grated Parmesan and serve warm.
They’re easy to hold once cooled a bit, but they’re also fantastic straight out of the oven — consider offering small plates and forks if you plan to serve them piping hot.
Look at that little poppable pizza pepper pocket!
Pizza Pepper Poppers
Game Day Pizza Pepper Poppers
8
to 10 people
20 mins
10 mins
30 mins
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Ingredients
- 1 pound sweet mini peppers, sliced in half lengthwise
- Olive oil for drizzling
- Kosher salt and pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 cup marinara sauce
- 8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
- Mini pepperoni, for topping
- 2 to 3 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 425°F. Slice the mini peppers in half lengthwise and arrange them cut-side up on a baking sheet.
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Drizzle or spray the peppers with a little olive oil, then season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and dried basil.
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Roast the peppers for 10 minutes, then remove the pan from the oven.
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Fill each pepper half with a small spoonful of marinara, top with shredded mozzarella and a few mini pepperoni slices. Use more or less sauce and cheese depending on pepper size.
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Return the baking sheet to the oven and roast for another 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove and sprinkle with grated Parmesan.
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Serve warm. They’re great handheld once cooled slightly, or serve with small plates and forks if you prefer them piping hot.
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