Looking for your next favorite stuffed pepper recipe? Try this recipe for Anaheim chili peppers stuffed with Cajun seasoned cream cheese that are baked or grilled. They're cheesy and delicious.
Anaheim peppers offer an alternative to grilled jalapeno poppers for those looking for less of a kick in the spice department. These are just as easy to make as jalapeno poppers.
Also, they're a whole meal! Just what we need this time, or ANY TIME, of year!
There are so many chili pepper varieties in the world, and so many of them are ideal for stuffing. They're the perfect vessels for all sorts of delicious goodness. One of the most popular peppers around is the Anaheim chili pepper.
The Anaheim is a mild pepper with a thick enough flesh to be slightly meaty in texture, especially when roasted. You'll find them in most grocery stores in the fresh fruit and vegetables section, along with other more popular peppers.
Stuffed chili peppers are an excellent choice for your Anaheims. Serve up one or two of these (or hey, maybe three) and you have yourself a full meal. For this particular recipe, I went with a mixture of cream cheese and cheddar cheese along with a nice blend of Cajun seasonings and fresh garlic.
That's it. Very simple. Simple is good, right?
I used my own Homemade Cajun Seasoning Blend for this recipe, but feel free to use your own preferred blend. Or try a nice Creole blend.
Let's talk about how we make these stuffed Anaheim peppers, shall we?
Making These Cajun Cream Cheese Stuffed Anaheim Peppers - the Recipe Method
First, heat your oven to 400 degrees F.
Next, place the Anaheim peppers on a baking sheet and bake them about 20-25 minutes, flipping once through, or until the skins become charred and puffy. Or, you can char them over open flame on the stove top, like I have done here.
It only takes a few minutes to roast them this way, over an open flame.
Flip them occasionally to let the skins char and bubble up. Learn more about how to roast peppers here.
Remove the peppers from heat and cool slightly, then place into a plastic baggie to steam for several minutes. Once cooled enough, peel off the skins and discard. Set the peppers aside until ready to use.
While peppers are roasting, mix together your cream cheese, cheddar cheese, Cajun seasonings and fresh minced garlic.
Slit each pepper down the center and scoop out the insides.
Spoon the Cajun cream cheese mixture into the peppers and set them into a baking dish.
Bake the stuffed Anaheim peppers for 15 minutes. Alternatively, you can set them on the grill for 15 minutes until the cheeses melt, or broil for about 6-7 minutes. The main thing is to let the cheeses get nice and melty.
Remove from heat and set onto serving plates.
Top with cilantro, spicy chili flakes and hot sauce, if desired.
Alternatives to Anaheim Peppers
If you're unable to find Anaheim peppers for this recipe, look for Cubanelle Peppers, which are usually pretty easy to find at your local grocer. They offer a similar flavor.
Bell peppers are also a great alternative in a pinch, though they are usually much larger and you'll need to adjust your cooking times accordingly.
Also, many varieties of Hatch chili peppers are wonderful for making stuffed peppers.
Also, if you enjoy stuffed pepper, check out our cookbook - Jalapeno Poppers and Other Stuffed Chili Peppers. We created it!
Check Out Some of My Other Popular Stuffed Chili Pepper Recipes
- Chicken and Cheese Stuffed Anaheim Peppers
- Easy Italian Sausage Stuffed Peppers
- Stuffed Banana Peppers
- Cream Cheese Stuffed Poblano Peppers
- Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers
- Cajun Chicken Stuffed Poblano Peppers
- Cajun Shrimp Stuffed Poblano Peppers
- Caribbean Coconut Rice and Shrimp Stuffed Peppers
- Chipotle Chicken Stuffed Peppers
Got any questions? Ask away! I'm happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you'll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don't forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I'll be sure to share! Thanks! -- Mike H.
Cajun Cream Cheese Stuffed Anaheim Peppers
Ingredients
- 5 Anaheim peppers stemmed and cored ( or more as needed, depending on the size)
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 2 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
- FOR SERVING Chopped fresh cilantro, spicy chili flakes and hot sauce, if desired.
Instructions
- Heat an oven to 400 degrees.
- Place Anaheim peppers on a baking sheet and bake about 20-25 minutes, flipping once through, or until the skins become charred and puffy. Or, you can char them over open flame on the stovetop.
- Remove from heat and cool slightly, then place into a plastic baggie to steam for several minutes. Once cooled enough, peel off the skins and discard. Set the peppers aside until ready to use.
- In a mixing bowl, combine cheeses with garlic and Cajun seasoning. Mix well.
- Slit each pepper down the center and scoop out the insides.
- Spoon the seasoned cheese mixture into the peppers and set them into a baking dish.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Alternatively, you can grill the stuffed Anaheim peppers for 15 minutes, or broil them for 6-7 minutes, until the cheeses are nice and melty.
- Remove from heat and set onto serving plates.
- Top with cilantro, spicy chili flakes and hot sauce, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition Information
This recipe was updated on 5/24/19 to include new photos and information. It was originally published on 9/1/12.
Brandon Felmet says
Sooo…happy accident when making some stuffed peppers tonight. I was a true male and glazed over the directions how to roast peppers. I split and deseeded some hatch chilis BEFORE roasting. Peel the skin and pretty much turned into pepper strips.
Your directions were perfect but my attention to detail was not.
So I had a mix made up with ground Turkey cream cheese some spices. I greased up a 9x9 glass dish and layered some tortillas on the bottom. Then spread the mix on top and the hatch strips on top of that. Repeat and cover with shredded cheese and bake. Turned out pretty awesome! The peppers were the star. Thank you for the great ideas and next time I’ll follow the directions!
Mike Hultquist says
Sounds delicious nonetheless! Thanks, Brandon!
Erin says
Mike,
These were amazing and I did not take the skin off. That was completely accidental as I cored and halved before I remembered I was supposed to skin. The peppers came out of the garden less than an hour before core and halving and they still came out perfect. I wonder if that is because they were so fresh. Anyway, thanks for this recipe it is a keeper!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Erin!
Bessie says
Why do you skin them, won't that loose a lot of flavor ?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Bessie, no, they don't lose flavor. It's more about the overall texture, as the skins tend to curl up and get papery sometimes. You can keep them on if you'd like. Let me know how it turns out for you.
Sharon says
How long did you steam them 1st?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Sharon, I didn't steam them. I just stemmed and cored them, then filled them and grilled them. However, you CAN steam or blanch them before stuffing about 4-5 minutes to soften the up. That would work great. Let me know how they turn out for you.
Sidonee Gibson says
I made this but added a few touches
Lemon juice
Pre cooked bacon
Smoked paprika
Also a touch or garlic powder and onion powder to taste :))
Sharon Frantz says
hello, when you said to wrap in foil, do you mean wrap individually?
REPLY: Sharon, you can wrap them all together and grill. You can skip the foil and just grill them, too, but watch to make sure the filling doesn't spill out. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.
patrice says
Can these be frozen, then reheated later? Or will they go bad? I have a million peppers someone gave me and I do not want them to waste.
Thank you
Patrice
REPLY: Patrice, yes, you can freeze these for a couple months. Just be sure to wrap them up neatly and airtight. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.