Andrea Buckett's Goat Cheese-Stuffed Mini Peppers with Calabrese Salami
A highly addictive back-pocket appetizer recipe that everyone will love
Cottage season is *finally* here and I can’t wait spend the summer flipping through Andrea Buckett’s new cookbook, The Essential Cottage Cookbook, for all of the best easy-entertaining meal ideas.
I actually met Andrea years ago on mini press-trip to a (very) fabulous cottage on Lake Joseph in Muskoka. The place was a legit mansion and Andrea was there as the in-house Chef and host for the weekend. The trip was planned by President’s Choice, which was the company she was working for as a full-time chef at the time.
It’s been so much fun watching Andrea’s following grow over the years and it’s so exciting to see her launch her very first cookbook. She hasn’t been shy about sharing just how much work goes into creating (and selling!) your very own cookbook—and she’s proud to share this career milestone at 50-years old. Go, Andrea!
I normally share recipes that I’ve made many times, but since I just ordered this cookbook, I was trying and testing it on the fly for the first time while shooting. These Goat Cheese-Stuffed Peppers wrapped in a spicy Calabrese Salami are easy to make and seriously addictive.
They’re spicy, they’re cheesy, they’re a little sweet, there’s crispiness from the baked salami. Oh my god—seriously so good. A perfect treat at the cottage, but I have a feeling you’ll be making them all year ‘round from now on.
*FYI I’m using affiliate links here and there to help fund future cookbook purchases. 🙏
Goat Cheese-Stuffed Mini Peppers with Calabrese Salami from The Essential Cottage Cookbook
Here's a riff on one of my all-time favorite appetizers, the jalapeño popper! I adore jalapeños, but their heat levels can be wildly unpredictable. Using sweet peppers allows you to control how hot or sweet you want the appetizer to be. Sweet peppers can be stuffed with a number of cheeses, but for the sake of simplicity, I chose a tangy, creamy goat cheese. Wrapping and baking the peppers in Calabrese salami adds zip and creates the most marvelous crispy edges. A glaze of sweet and tangy red pepper jelly catapults these peppers into the flavor stratosphere.
Makes 28 appetizers
14 mini sweet peppers (about 1 lb/450 g)
8 oz (225 g) goat cheese. at room temperature
14 slices Calabrese salami (each about 2½ oz/70 g), cut in half lengthwise
¼ cup red pepper jelly
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
2. Cut the peppers in half lengthwise and remove any seeds or large membranes, leaving the stem intact, if possible, for a cuter presentation.
3. Using a knife, spread a little goat cheese in the cavity of each pepper half. Don't overfill the peppers, or the cheese will escape during baking. Wrap one half slice of salami around each pepper.
(If the peppers are really small, consider using seven slices of salami, cut lengthwise into quarters, to wrap the peppers.)
Arrange the peppers on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes.
4. Dollop a small amount of red pepper jelly on each pepper. Bake for another 10-12 minutes or until the peppers are soft and the salami is crisp around the edges. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes.
5. Transfer to a plate and serve. Leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
TIP: If you happen to have leftovers (I highly doubt it), these double as a great topping for burgers.
COTTAGE SWAP: Calabrese salami typically comes in oblong slices, making it the perfect shape for wrapping around small sweet peppers. If you can't get this variety, prosciutto is a great alternative.