pepperoni pizza mac n’ cheese stuffed peppers

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickle peppers…

Should I keep going?

Probably not.

Instead, let’s talk pizza peppers! As most of my recipes do, this one came from a need to use up an ingredient in the fridge that probably would’ve rotted had it hung out an additional day. In this case, the little baby pepperonis I used in a recent board that I’ll post when I decide which of my recent boards I want to post first.

Which brings me to a question – fig and cheese, or pumpkin hummus?

That’s all I say for now.

The second stage of developing this recipe could’ve resulted in a self-inflicted crisis: no effing marinara sauce. I shit you not, I stared right at it while grocery shopping and figured “nah, I have some at home.” Lo and behold, of the 10000 condiments wedged in my fridge’s sundry crevices, I did not have any marinara.

Freezer to the rescue! Awhile back we squirreled away some of our Garlicky Mushroom Marinara and it proved the perfect portion. Recipe saved. Birds can sing again. Life can carry forth. Halleloo.

Pepper Process

Very few ingredients spill into this recipe, and most are pantry staples. I, of course, vouch for vegetarian pepperoni, but if you are inclined to buy the real thing, please use it.

Red bells are where it’s at for this dish and my first key to the game is broiling them for a rich, roasty flavor and to soften them up before stuffing. Heat that broiler to high, set the whole peppers on a baking sheet, and toast until pretty charred all over. This took my oven about 10 minutes, but allow a bit longer if your oven is special. Take them out and set onto a plate or bowl to cool. No need to sweat them in a bag – the peppers won’t be peeled.

Now, you can preheat the oven to 425.

That’s The Stuff(ing)

Next, chop up a combination of fresh basil, oregano, rosemary, and thyme for a “pizza seasoning” akin to that used on takeout pizzas but way better because fewer germy hands touched it from start to finish. Add some sassy red pepper flakes to the blend and a touch of salt and pepper.

Follow the directions for your macaroni pasta and boil until the allotted time. Drain, and pour into a bowl. Toss the pasta with most of the marinara sauce and some parmesan cheese. Stir it all up until fairly evenly coated.

Spoon the rest of the sauce into a large casserole dish. Halve, deseed, and set the cooled peppers snugly into the dish. Scoop about 1/2 cup of the pasta-pizza (past-za? pizz-sta? Whatever) into each pepper half. Nibble if there’s any left.

Next, place some torn fresh mozzarella atop the peppers, and then the pepperoni. Sprinkle with the seasoning blend. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes until the cheese melts and begins to turn golden in parts. Sometimes I like to switch the broiler back on for 1-2 minutes to brown the cheese a bit more, but if you have a short attention span, probably don’t do this.

Healthy veggified pizza? Don’t mind me over here. Granted, I don’t think a pizza is a pizza without cheese so you won’t find me skimping on that dairy delight, but bell peppers are certainly more conscious than pizza dough. Though a Balsamic Garlic Mushroom Pizza sure sounds good about now.

I am grateful for this recipe especially since I tried twice to make a different mac n’ cheese stuffed pepper that just looked weird and didn’t finish the way I really hoped it would. Perhaps one millennium I’ll figure out the secret to that particular formula, but for now, I’m more than pleased with pepperoni pizza peppers especially because I can crack my literary jaw and enjoy some poeticism in the alliteration.

Tried this recipe out? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!