Bell Pepper Inspiration: 15 Easy Ways to Use Fresh Bell Peppers
Have a pile of fresh bell peppers and need some inspiration?
Bell peppers are one of those vegetables that can make their way into just about any meal of the day. Eat them raw for a crisp snack, sauté them into dinner, roast them until sweet, or use them as the base of a meal.
If bell peppers are showing up in your CSA bag or you picked some up from the farm stand, here are some simple ways to put them to use.
Easy Ways to Use Bell Peppers
Pizza — Slice peppers thinly and add them as a pizza topping. Use them raw before baking or sauté them first for a softer texture.
Tacos and fajitas — Sauté sliced peppers with onions and pair with chicken, beef, shrimp, or beans.
Salads — Chop fresh bell peppers into pasta salad, cucumber salad, corn salad, Greek salad, or a simple garden salad.
Egg dishes — Add chopped peppers to scrambled eggs, omelets, breakfast burritos, egg muffins, or frittatas.
Quesadillas — Combine peppers with cheese, corn, beans, chicken, or whatever else you have on hand.
Rice bowls — Pair sautéed or roasted peppers with rice, beans, corn, avocado, chicken, or ground beef for an easy meal.
Sandwiches and wraps — Use raw peppers for crunch or roasted peppers for a softer, sweeter flavor.
Stuffed peppers — Fill whole or halved peppers with rice, ground meat, beans, vegetables, cheese, quinoa, or a combination of your favorites.
Soups and chili — Bell peppers work especially well in tomato-based soups, tortilla soup, vegetable soup, and chili.
Kabobs — Their firm texture makes bell peppers perfect for skewers. Pair them with chicken, beef, mushrooms, zucchini, and onions.
Sheet-pan meals — Roast chopped peppers alongside potatoes, onions, sausage, chicken, or other seasonal vegetables.
Dips and spreads — Roast red bell peppers and blend them into hummus, bean dips, or creamy spreads.
Raw snacks — Cut peppers into strips and serve with hummus, ranch, cream cheese, or another favorite dip.
Stir-fries — Slice peppers and cook them with broccoli, carrots, snap peas, chicken, beef, or tofu.
Potato dishes — Add diced bell peppers to breakfast potatoes, hash, roasted potatoes, or potato salad.
Bird in a Bell
Here’s one more way to use those fresh peppers — especially at breakfast.
Bird in a Bell is a bell pepper version of the classic egg-in-a-hole. Thick slices of bell pepper create little rings for cooking eggs right in the skillet. It’s simple, colorful, and only requires a handful of ingredients.
Ingredients
1 large bell pepper
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon olive oil or butter
Salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
¼ cup shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese, optional
Chopped fresh parsley or green onion, optional
Instructions
Cut the bell pepper crosswise into 4 thick rings, about ½ inch thick. Try to keep the rings fairly even so they sit flat against the skillet.
Heat the olive oil or butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Place the pepper rings in the skillet and cook for about 1–2 minutes on the first side.
Flip each pepper ring over. This gives the peppers a little head start on cooking before adding the eggs.
Crack one egg into a small bowl, then carefully pour it into the center of a pepper ring. Repeat with the remaining eggs.
Cover the skillet and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for about 4–7 minutes, depending on how firm you like your yolks. Make sure the egg whites are completely set.
If you're adding cheese, sprinkle a little over each egg during the final minute of cooking. Cover again until the cheese has melted.
Season with salt and pepper and finish with chopped parsley or green onion, if desired.
Serve warm and enjoy!
Fresh bell peppers are incredibly versatile, so don't be afraid to keep things simple. Sometimes the easiest way to use what’s in season is to add it to something you’re already making.
Grown with care at Sand n’ Straw Community Farm.