Baked "Sheepnose" Pimento Peppers w/ Cheddar Cheese

These little sweet beauties are so delicious!  My dad introduced me to these wonderful little peppers years ago.  This baked Sheepnose Pimento Pepper side dish is inspired by the one he makes.  Get a bunch of these peppers while they are in season and grow some of your own next year. 

Baked "Sheepnose" Pimento Peppers w/ Cheddar Cheese

Cheesy, sweet and juicy, a perfect little pocket of yumminess.

Equipment: Baking Pan/Stoneware Large Bar Pan

• 4 Sheepnose Pimento peppers
• 3-4 ounces organic or raw cheddar cheese, cut into chunks

1.     Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2.    Prep peppers, wash and dry. 

3.    Carefully cut out top of pepper with a paring knife, removing stem and a small portion of the top (see picture below).  Remove seeds and white membrane with a small spoon (I use a “grapefruit” spoon since it scrapes, but any teaspoon would work).

4.    Cut thick slices of cheddar, then cut into little 1 inch squares.  I make slices about ½ inch thick, then cut into 1 inch squares.  Stack 2 pieces of cheddar inside the peppers.  Grated cheddar would work fine too, just fill up pepper about ¾ of the way with cheese. 

5.     Place peppers on a baking pan. 

6.    Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until cheese starts to form a golden brown crust. 

7.     Serve hot or refrigerate for later. 

Make sure to get some of the sweet pepper juice w/ each bite!

Yield: Makes 4 peppers.

Note: I use a Stoneware Large Bar Pan to bake these, but any kind of baking pan or baking dish will work.

Tip: This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled.  Make up a big batch of these and refrigerate until ready to eat.  They reheat in the oven wonderfully and are also delicious cold.  They make a great snack or a side dish.  


This post is part of Seasonal Sunday @ Real Sustenance.