Pizza Pepper Poppers

Pizza pepper poppers are the most delicious little treat for game day! Mini sweet peppers are filled with sauce, cheese and pepperoni and roasted until melty. Handheld and poppable, these are such a fun snack!

Hi – I have the easiest recipe on earth for you today!

Okay, maybe that’s an exaggeration, but we’re simply filling mini sweet peppers with sauce and cheese and pepperoni and roasting them. They get melty and cheesy and poppable!

Cute cute cute.

I almost didn’t share this because it’s one of those embarrassingly easy “not really a recipe” things. It’s more of an idea.

But it’s an idea that you need for the current football season!!

We love the mini sweet peppers so much. I have them on our grocery list every single week – I slice them for salads constantly, put them in soups, use them in sheet pan meals, everything. And of course, we love them with hummus or feta dip.

For years, I’ve been making the mini pepper nachos. I’ll fill them with ground turkey taco meat, top with cheese and toss them in the oven until melty. Before serving, sometimes I crush tortilla chips on top. They are SO good. It’s a staple for us!

The peppers are so incredibly sweet that the kids love them too. Especially Jordan.

So, obviously you can customize these however you’d like! Take your favorite pizza toppings and go to town. It’s soooo easy.

My best tip for making these is the way that I make any stuffed pepper: season and roast them ahead of time! It’s an extra step but it makes such a difference. The peppers get even sweeter – and since these are tiny ones, they only need a few minutes in the oven.

Here’s how I make them most often for our family:

I season and roast the peppers first, just a bit!

Next, I fill them with a bit of marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese and tiny pepperoni. Some of the peppers are super tiny, so it’s only a few teaspoons of sauce and a tiny sprinkle of cheese.

Throw them back in the oven and roast until cheesy and melty and bubbly.

Top with some parmesan and serve!! These are easily handheld once they cool, but since they are delicious when super warm and cheesy, I suggest also serving with some plates and forks if you wish.

Look at that little poppable pizza pepper pocket!

Game Day Pizza Pepper Poppers

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Slice the peppers in half lengthwise and place them on a baking sheet, cut-side up.
Drizzle or spray the peppers with a bit of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sprinkle all over with the garlic powder and dried basil.
Roast the peppers for 10 minutes, then remove the pan from the oven.
Fill each pepper with marinara sauce, then top with shredded cheese and pepperoni. This amount of marinara and cheese will differ based on the size of your peppers. You can use as much or as little as you’d like!
Return the pan to the oven for 10 more minutes, until the cheese is melted. Remove and sprinkle all over with parmesan cheese.
Serve!