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5 from 8 votes

Queso Stuffed Padron Peppers Over Romesco

These small and mild padron peppers are the perfect tapa or appetizer. The padron peppers are stuffed with melty cheese and served over a bright and flavorful romesco sauce.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Mediterranean, Spanish
Keyword: cheese stuffed padron peppers, stuffed padron peppers
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 690kcal
Cost: $10

Ingredients

Romesco Sauce

  • 3 dried ancho peppers seeds and stems removed
  • 3 large tomatoes cut in half
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 1 garlic bulb cut in half
  • 1 cup toasted hazelnuts
  • 1 cup slivered or sliced toasted almonds
  • 1 slice of stale or dry bread
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • ½ cup water if needed
  • Few dashes of sherry or red wine vinegar
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Padron Peppers

  • 8 ounces Padron peppers or shishito peppers
  • 4 ounces Oaxaca or mazorella cheese cut into cubes
  • Olive oil for drizzling
  • Flakey sea salt for garnish

Instructions

  • Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
  • Add bell pepper and tomatoes and and drizzle everything with olive oil, salt and pepper. Wrap garlic bulb in foil and add to baking sheet.
  • Roast vegetables for 25-30 minutes until tomatoes and peppers are softened and slightly charred. Once done, set aside to cool for a few minutes, then remove the thick outer peel from the peppers and tomato, leaving behind the tender flesh. Remove roasted garlic cloves from bulb.
  • While vegetables are roasting, soak the dried peppers in warm water for 10 minutes to soften.
  • In a large food processor, add the roasted bell pepper, tomatoes, garlic cloves, dried ancho peppers, nuts, bread, olive oil and a few dashes of red wine vinegar.
  • Pulse everything together until smooth. If it is too thick, add a few dashes of water until desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper and taste for seasoning.
  • Prep the padron peppers by cutting off the stem and cutting. aslit in the pepper, to create a pocket and remove the seeds.
  • Place 2-3 small cubes of cheese into the pepper and place on a foil lined baking sheet.
  • Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and toast peppers for 15-20 minutes until the cheese melts and pepper begins to char.
  • To serve, spread romesco sauce on serving plate and top stuffed padron peppers on top. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and sea salt.

Notes

Romesco sauce is very versatile and can be made quicker with store bought ingredients. 
Use jarred roasted peppers instead of roasting your own. 
Substitute all or either of hazelnuts or almonds.
To make the romesco sauce gluten free, you can omit the bread or use gluten free bread.

Nutrition

Calories: 690kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 54g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 34g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 248mg | Potassium: 1303mg | Fiber: 17g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 9061IU | Vitamin C: 107mg | Calcium: 289mg | Iron: 5mg