(Because people like diet food in January)
It should be known, that I am NOT a “new year, new you” kind of gal. While I appreciate the idea of a fresh start, every day is diet day for me (due to my excessive roundness), so I’ve never been one to start a healthy lifestyle just because the ball dropped.
That being said, I truly admire the people who do this. I want to be more like those people. I may even be jealous of them so shut up about it OK?
So, for those people. The ones I outwardly hate, but secretly admire and aspire to be, THIS recipe is for you.
NOTE: It’s also selfishly a yummy, healthy(ish) treat I can bring to parties, so there is actually something I can have, but is also impressive to the non-round people.
Let’s cook!
Here is our list O’ ingredients.
-1 Bag of mini sweet peppers (they are SO cute and trendy right now, and yes! I keep up with food trends guys. I do this for you! Appreciate me for it. You know who you are).
-2 Bricks of 1/3 less fat cream cheese (Neufchatel if you’re fancy, and we are indeed fancy) cheese (that you left out on the counter to soften for a few hours because you are getting so good at anticipating my needs in the kitchen).
-4 Oz. Part skim mozzarella (the shredded kind in the bag, that I grabbed by accident, and added it before reading the bag but it worked out so now it’s mandatory).
-4 Oz. Reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese (the cheese I meant to grab the first time).
NOTE: I like the Cabot 50% less fat cheese for this (and what I say goes!).
-3 Oz. (real please) bacon bits (do Not judge me! Yes, you can brown your own bacon, but come on guys! I had them in the house).
NOTE: I used the 3-4 oz. Bag of Oscar Mayer real bacon bits for this (They JUST introduced a turkey bacon version which would make this even MORE diet friendly, but I didn't know they existed until about 30 seconds ago, and it’s only a small amount of bacon per pepper, so take your judgments elsewhere thank you very much).
-1 Tsp. Garlic powder.
-½ Cup chopped green onions (basically chop up the bunch you bought in the store and toss it in... that’s what she said...).
-2 –4 dashes of your favorite hot sauce (something tangy and spicy like me).
-Salt and pepper to taste (we know cheese is as salty as my tears on a bad day, so add what you see fit).
Ready! Let’s make these adorable little bitches!
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees (good on you for remember my pretties!).
In a large bowl (or the bowl of your fancy standing mixer you treated yourself with finally) add the two bricks of 1/3 less fat cream cheese, 4 oz. Part skim mozzarella, 4 oz. Reduced fat cheddar cheese, the 2-4 oz of real bacon bits, the ½ cup green onions (that were beautifully chopped), 1 tsp. Garlic powder, 2-4 dashes of your favorite hot sauce, and mix until combined.
Taste this mix and add the necessary salt and pepper, and mix again.
Set aside.
Line a cookie sheet with tin foil and spray with non-fat cooking spray (which doesn’t even count as an ingredient, I just assume you have it, and if you don’t just brush the foil with some sort of cooking oil, but just enough to coat the pan, we don’t want them swimming in it, this is a diet treat remember?
Slice each pepper in half and using a spoon (if you’re delicate, or your hands if your serious about this cooking scene), scrape out the seeds and membranes (which is a word I find disgusting, and I needed you to know this).
TIP: lay the pepper on the counter, whichever way it lays flat, cut on the opposite side so it will lay flat when you put them on the pan (and no this instruction is not clear, but I really don’t know how else to phrase it and I am not a writer so this is where we are in life).
Fill each pepper half with the delicious cheese mixture (that tastes super fattening, but isn't... kind of), and lay out on the cookie sheet.
Fill each pepper with the cheese mixture, using a spoon (and you're hands if necessary. It's gonna get messy kids make sure your hands are clean, which should go without saying, but still).
Spray the tops with more of that non-stick cooking spray (that doesn’t count as an ingredient but will help in browning, so we allow it).
Bake for 10-14 minutes, until the filling is soft and gooey but the peppers have not fallen apart.
Serve at your next party, and watch everyone eat do many of them, that the fact that they are low fat no longer matters.
Enjoy!
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