If your garden is full of an over abundance of banana peppers, these delicious Stuffed Banana Pepper Bites are the perfect way to use them up. Full of flavor and so easy to make, you will make them again and again.
Are you ready for some football?
I am. But not for the reason you think.
There is nothing more fun that tailgating with friends before the big game.
I don’t so much care for the actual game.
I’m definitely a football widow at this time of year, as my husband adores the game, but not me. Nope.
But give me some good food and some friends and I’m good to go.
This weeks #SundaySupper is all about tailgating food and there are some pretty amazing treats in store for you today!
(list is at the bottom).
I chose these banana pepper bites because as I’ve mentioned before, my pepper plants are flourishing this year.
I have an overabundance of these babies.
I’m pulling about 5-10 day and I’ve pickled some, frozen some and made banana pepper poppers at least a dozen times and I’m running out of ideas.
That’s where these little Pepper Bites come in.
Stuffed Banana Pepper Bites were born!
One afternoon after the three youngest had returned back to school, I had my two oldest teens at home and we were hungry.
We REALLY needed to get to the store for some lunch meat and other groceries.
Time was not on our side, and I’d been so busy I hadn’t gotten there.
So time to come up with a solution that DID NOT require a trip to the store at that moment.
That morning I had pulled an entire bunch off, and I had everything else I needed to make some banana pepper bites.
I let my cream cheese soften for about 30 minutes.
Then I tossed it in my mixer, added a whole bunch of stuff (see the recipe) and then baked these babies up.
WOW!!!!!
We’ve made them about a half dozen times since.
They were a huge hit and my kids LOVE them and request them often.
And yes they can be made in an air fryer.
I recommend doing some trial and error to adjust time and temperature.
Air fryer’s are all so very different from one another.
We make them with bacon sometimes, so feel free to add some if you’d like.
I didn’t in this particular recipe.
You do it whichever way you’d like!
That’s what makes recipes like these so great!
These are great anytime, but would be especially awesome for tailgating.
We took them to an event recently, and I just filled up a huge plastic soup thermos.
Okay, I actually filled three of them with these little bites and it kept them warm until we got there and served them.
Perfect snack!
We like popping them in our mouth all by themselves.
But you can have some fun with dips or dressings to dip them in.
Let’s make Stuffed Banana Pepper Bites!
Warm Ups (Appetizers):
- Bacon and Onion Dip by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
- Chicken Fajita Dip and Quesadillas by Chocolate Moosey
- Crab Rangoons by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
- Double Cheese Dill Scones by Vintage Kitchen Notes
- Fried Yucca With Pink Sauce by Basic N Delicious
- Grilled Gameday Nachos by Supper for a Steal
- Homemade Potato Chips w/ Blue Cheese Sauce by girlichef
- Liptauer Cheese Spread by Magnolia Days
- Mahogany Baked Chicken Wings by The Dinner-Mom
- Mexican Corn Dip by Growing Up Gabel
- Posh Pigs In a Blanket by The Weekend Gourmet
- Pretzel Nuggets by I Run For Wine
- Roasted Garlic & Tomatillo Salsa Verde by Killer Bunnies, Inc
- Savory Baked Pinwheel’s by The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
- Sesame Glazed Cauliflower “Wings” by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
- Stuffed Banana Pepper Bites by Daily Dish Recipes
- Sweet Potato Hummus by Alida’s Kitchen
- Sweet Potato Skins by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
Game Time (Main Dishes and Sides):
- Bacon Burger Sliders by Peanut Butter and Peppers
- Beef on Weck by Healthy. Delicious.
- Carrot Slaw by The Foodie Army Wife
- Cheerwine BBQ Pulled Pork by Nik Snacks
- Chicken, Bacon, Ranch Quesadillas by Cookin’ Mimi
- Chicken, Brie and Apple Turnovers by Shockingly Delicious
- Easy Grilled Chicken Caesar Sandwiches by Momma’s Meals
- Frito Olé by Home Cooking Memories
- Gomoku Treasure Rice by NinjaBaking.com
- Grilled Fajita Kebabs by CuriousCuisiniere
- Hatch Chile Pimento Cheese Burgers by Juanita’s Cocina
- Italian Tuna and Shells Salad by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
- Pressed Brick Sandwich by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Soup by Neighborfood
- Smoky Turkey Burgers by Webicurean
- Snorker and Spicy Slaw Sandwiches by Food Lust People Love
- Tandoori BBQ Chicken by Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
- Tortilla Hot Dogs by La Cocina de Leslie
Overtime (Drinks and Desserts):
- Coconut Funfetti Ice Cream Cake by What Smells So Good?
- Funfetti Sugar Cookies by Pies and Plots
- Individual Elvis Pies by Treats & Trinkets
Stuffed Banana Pepper Bites
Ingredients
- 15-20 banana peppers
- 8 ounces of cream cheese, softened
- 3 Tablespoons of green onions, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons of garlic, minced (or garlic powder)
- 2 teaspoons of paprika
- a pinch of salt & pepper
- 1/4 c. bacon, chopped (optional)
- 1 sandwich sized bag
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 8 oz. panko
- seasoning for panko, if desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Clean the peppers. Chop the top and bottom off.
- Gently remove the seeds and rinse clean to get any hidden seeds.
- In a bowl, thoroughly combine the cream cheese, green onions, garlic, paprika, salt & pepper. Add the bacon if you are using it.
- Spoon the cream cheese mixture into a sandwich bag and seal tight.
- Snip off one corner and pipe the mixture into each banana pepper. Sometimes it doesn't get all the way down, that's okay you'll get it filled in moment.
- Once each banana pepper is filled, slice into desired amount. We cut ours into quarter slices to make them easily bite size, but you could cut them in half. If you notice they don't have any cream cheese in them, just go ahead and fill them up now that they are cut.
- Take two bowls, put the beaten eggs in one and the panko in the other. If you want to mix some seasoning into the panko for added flavor, do that now. (I use Old Bay Seasoning, about 1-2 teaspoons)
- Dip the pepper coins carefully into the beaten egg.
- Spoon the Panko over the banana pepper bites to cover as completely as possible.
- Place the pepper bites onto a baking sheet covered in foil. Spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- Bake for about 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees. Serve warm with dipping sauce.
Stacy
These are genius, Nicole! I adore everything about them. The pepper, the cheese filling, the crunchy baked outside. The food is my favorite part of any game watching gathering too!
The Ninja Baker
Sooo happy to have these gems as a go-to for delicious appetizer food for parties and get-togethers. Thank you, Nicole!
P.s. Do you agree that being a football widow is not such a bad thing? It’s a perfect time to escape for some retail therapy while football fans are yelling at TVs =)
Paula @ Vintage Kitchen Notes
The only time I tried to have a red chile plant it died the poor thing. Now I buy them, lol! I need to try a stuffed version, they look so ridiculously good Nicole! You even too out your piping bag!
Lane @ Supper for a Steal
Yummy!! My plants are starting to produce more peppers. Maybe soon I will have enough to make these! I love the oozing cheese… mmm!
Jennifer @ Peanut Butter and Peppers
Oh my gosh! I think I am in love with these banana peppers! Fab recipe!!
Heather @girlichef
These sound so good, Nicole. My daughter and I are both banana pepper fanatics…these would disappear in no time flat around here!
Marjory @ Dinner-Mom
I think I became a banana pepper fan! This looks amazing. Very nice!
Megan
This is an awesome idea. I love stuffed peppers but sometimes they are too hot for me. Using banana peppers is so smart!
Family Foodie
I have been looking for the perfect recipe for my mini peppers… I found just the one!
Anne @ Webicurean
I bookmarked these–making them for my holiday party!
Laura Dembowski
So cool that you grow peppers! I know these would be a hit at any kind of football party!
Tammi @ Momma's Meals
You had me at cream cheese and peppers Momma! Wow what a great little snack! I’ll have to try them ASAP, I’m like you, not a fan of the game, but a big fan of the food and friends part 🙂
Renee
Love me some banana peppers. Stuffing them with cheese then baking for a crispy, crunchy bite is fabulous!! Only problem is waiting for them to cool down enough to eat. I’d probably burn my mouth by not wanting to wait.
Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious
Fabulous use of your homegrown produce!
Bea
Oh, yes please these sound simply amazing. Thank you so much 🙂
Jen @JuanitasCocina
We should tailgate together. We could eat and drink booze while the “fans” scream at the TV in the other room. 😉
Robin
Can you freeze these? I have am abundant supply of peppers this year! This sounds like something my husband would love!
Nicole Cook
I have never freezed them, so I cannot actually answer that. But I believe it might work. I’d worry mostly about the consistency of the cream cheese staying the same when thawed. If you do decide to try it, let us know how it works out. I’d be curious to see. I have a ton this year too, I usually just freeze the actual pepper lol
Alida
These are the cutest little stuffed peppers I’ve ever seen. What a great use for banana peppers!
Shannon R
I love little apps like this for when company shows up. What a fun recipe.
Susan
Look at all that cheese and crispy goodness! Yum!
kathia
Little banana peppers perfect little bites..yum!
Kim@Treats & Trinkets
These are super adorable. And they’re little, so it’s okay if I eat a whole bunch, right?
Brandie (@ Home Cooking Memories)
When I learned you were making this for #sundaysupper, I was so excited! My husband and I love banana peppers (sliced), so I love the idea of stuffing them! This looks awesome.
Hezzi-D
YUM! Great tip to pipe the filling in. I’m always breaking the peppers using spoons. Your filling sounds incredible as well!
Sarah Reid, RHNC (@jo_jo_ba)
*LOVE* banana peppers!
Lori @ Foxes Love Lemons
What a great use for your pepper bounty! Sounds like it’s a recipe that endlessly adaptable based on what filling ingredients you might have on hand. And I really like how you made them into “bites” instead of whole stuffed peppers.
Laura | Small Wallet, Big Appetite
So I have 3 banana pepper plants and I am so annoyed that they are producing the peppers so randomly. I have 3 I can pick but the rest are tiny. We have been craving banana poppers for a while but I just can’t seem to produce enough to make a full batch. I wonder if I could freeze the filling and just use it as the peppers grow.
Cindys Recipes and Writings
Perfect little mini poppers!
Constance @FoodieArmyWife
Now these would be right up my husband’s alley – he loves banana peppers!
Katie
Have had a bumper crop of HOT banana peppers this year
tried these last night and they were awesome
I just went ahead and sliced my peppers in bite size pieces 1st and put cheese mixture in with a small spoon. Worked great.