Low Carb Pepper Bites
Servings: 4
Ingredients
1 pound mini red and yellow bell peppers
8 ounces plain cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons black sesame seeds
Directions
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly grease a glass baking dish or coat it with nonstick spray so the peppers don’t stick.
Rinse the mini bell peppers and pat them very dry with a clean towel. Slice each pepper in half lengthwise, keeping the stem end intact if possible for a pretty presentation. Use a small knife or your fingers to remove the seeds and membranes.
Arrange the pepper halves cut-side up in a single layer in the glass baking dish. Nestle them close together so they stand upright and can hold the filling without tipping.
Place the softened cream cheese in a small bowl and stir it well with a spoon until smooth and spreadable. This makes it easier to fill the peppers evenly.
Using a small spoon or a piping bag (if you like things tidy), fill each pepper half with about a teaspoon of cream cheese, slightly mounding it so the filling is level with or just above the rim of the pepper.
Sprinkle the black sesame seeds generously over the tops of the cream cheese–filled peppers, making sure each one gets a good coating for crunch and visual contrast.
Transfer the baking dish to the preheated oven and bake for 15–18 minutes, or until the peppers’ skins are blistered and glossy, and the cream cheese is melted, bubbling gently, and just beginning to turn golden at the edges.
Remove the dish from the oven and let the pepper bites cool for 5–10 minutes. The cream cheese will be very hot right out of the oven, and a brief rest helps it set slightly while keeping the centers creamy.
