In many mornings, I prefer to prepare something quick that looks good and can be easily adapted for any meal. Usually, I make stuffed peppers with a simple cheese spread or thin slices of vegetables filled with the same mixture. I like to use fresh herbs and telemea cheese, but it depends on what I have on hand. Over time, I have tried various options – with peppers, cucumbers, slices of toasted bread, and even little boats cut from peppers, depending on what I find in the fridge.
Quick Info
Total time: about 25-30 minutes, depending on how many servings you make.
Preparation time: 20-25 minutes.
Cooking/baking time: not required.
Servings: 4-6, depending on how you serve it.
Difficulty: easy.
Recipe type: cold appetizer, suitable for breakfast, snacks, or festive platters.
Ingredients
Cheese spread:
- 250 g telemea cheese (I usually use cow or sheep cheese, depending on what I have)
- 200 g sweet cheese, non-fat and fairly dry
- 75 g sour cream (can be low-fat)
- 1/2 or 1 bunch of herbs (parsley or dill; I mostly use parsley)
- optional: 50 g butter (at room temperature)
- optional: 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
For assembly and variations:
- sweet peppers, for stuffing (red, yellow, or green)
- cream cheese (I use Delaco)
- Fabio cucumber
- small tomatoes for the base
- slices of toasted bread
- hard cheese (usually from Delaco, but any hard cheese works)
- chicken pastrami or any preferred cold cuts
- radishes, olives, for decoration and variety
Preparation Method
1. Prepare the cheese spread: crumble the telemea cheese with a fork in a large bowl. Add the sweet cheese and mix well.
2. Incorporate the butter, if using. Add the sour cream and finely chopped herbs. Also add the very finely chopped onion, if you like a slight kick.
3. Mix everything until you have a smooth cream, not too thick or too soft. If it's too thick, you can add a little more sour cream.
4. For stuffing the peppers: clean the peppers and cut off the tops. Fill them with the cheese spread using a simple piping bag (without a nozzle, with an opening of about 1 cm). If you don’t have a piping bag, you can use a bag with the tip cut off.
5. After filling the peppers, place them in the refrigerator. The butter will harden, and the filling will set.
6. Cut the stuffed peppers into slices about 8 mm thick with a very sharp knife. Arrange the slices on a platter.
7. For cucumber rolls: cut the cucumber lengthwise into thin strips. You can use a mandoline or a thin slicing knife, but be careful with your fingers (I prefer the knife because I've cut myself with the mandoline a few times).
8. Spread the cheese spread in the middle of the cucumber strips. Roll them tightly and secure them in a base cut from a small tomato (hollow out the center with a small cutter).
9. On top, place a piece of cream cheese for decoration.
10. For pepper boats: cut pieces from the peppers, form small "boats," and fill them with guacamole or cream cheese.
11. For mini-sandwiches: cut slices of toasted bread with a round or flower-shaped cutter. Layer with cheese, chicken pastrami, cream cheese, thin slices of cucumber, tomatoes, radishes, olives, or whatever you have on hand.
12. Garnish everything with fresh herbs, as desired.
Why I Make This Recipe Often
The recipe is quick, flexible, and easily adaptable to whatever I have in the fridge. It can be made in the morning for a snack or for festive platters. It is filling and keeps well in the fridge for a few hours. The vegetables or bread can vary, while the cheese spread remains creamy without being too soft.
Tips and Variations
Tips
- To ensure the filling is firm, use butter at room temperature, then chill.
- Use a very sharp knife for cutting; otherwise, the pepper slices will get squished.
- Cucumber rolls should be assembled just before serving; otherwise, they will soften and won’t hold up well.
- The herbs should be chopped very finely to mix easily into the cream.
Substitutions
- If you don’t have telemea, you can use burrata or feta cheese, but adjust the salt accordingly.
- Very soft sweet cheese won’t hold the cream together; try to find a drier one.
- The sour cream can be low-fat or full-fat.
- You can omit the butter if you want something lighter, but the texture will be slightly different.
Variations
- Add dill instead of parsley for a more classic flavor.
- Mix in a little finely chopped hot pepper for a spicier cream.
- Fill any suitable vegetables with the cream – celery sticks, small tomatoes, or raw mushrooms.
Serving Ideas
- On cold platters, as an appetizer, with slices of toasted bread on the side.
- As mini-sandwiches, with visible layers of cheese, meat, and vegetables.
- As a quick snack for breakfast, just with sliced stuffed peppers.
- For kids, with fun shapes cut out from bread and vegetables.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What type of telemea works best?
Cow or sheep telemea is suitable, as long as it’s not too salty. If it’s too hard, soak it a little to desalt.
2. Can I use sweet cheese from the market?
Yes, but choose a denser and less watery one, so the cream doesn’t become liquid.
3. Can the cream be made without butter?
Yes, just with telemea, sweet cheese, and sour cream. The texture will be slightly softer but still good for stuffing.
4. How do I prevent cucumber rolls from getting soggy?
Assemble them immediately before serving. If they sit too long, the cucumber releases water and loses its shape.
5. If I don’t have a piping bag, how do I fill the peppers?
Use a simple bag, cut a hole about 1 cm at the corner, and squeeze the cream towards the tip. A spoon can also work, but it’s harder to reach the end.
Nutritional Values
Approximately, for a medium serving (about 100 g cream + vegetables):
- Calories: 170-220 kcal
- Protein: 8-12 g
- Fat: 12-17 g
- Carbohydrates: 3-5 g
Values may vary depending on the type of cheese and add-ins. With butter and full-fat sour cream, the fat intake increases.
Storage and Reheating
The cheese spread can be kept in the fridge for up to 24 hours. The stuffed peppers hold up well for a day, but cucumber rolls should be made at serving time; otherwise, they will soften and lose their texture. Mini-sandwiches with toasted bread should be assembled close to serving time, as the bread can get soggy quickly. No reheating is needed; all variations are consumed cold.
Quick Info
Total time: about 25-30 minutes, depending on how many servings you make.
Preparation time: 20-25 minutes.
Cooking/baking time: not required.
Servings: 4-6, depending on how you serve it.
Difficulty: easy.
Recipe type: cold appetizer, suitable for breakfast, snacks, or festive platters.
Ingredients
Cheese spread:
- 250 g telemea cheese (I usually use cow or sheep cheese, depending on what I have)
- 200 g sweet cheese, non-fat and fairly dry
- 75 g sour cream (can be low-fat)
- 1/2 or 1 bunch of herbs (parsley or dill; I mostly use parsley)
- optional: 50 g butter (at room temperature)
- optional: 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
For assembly and variations:
- sweet peppers, for stuffing (red, yellow, or green)
- cream cheese (I use Delaco)
- Fabio cucumber
- small tomatoes for the base
- slices of toasted bread
- hard cheese (usually from Delaco, but any hard cheese works)
- chicken pastrami or any preferred cold cuts
- radishes, olives, for decoration and variety
Preparation Method
1. Prepare the cheese spread: crumble the telemea cheese with a fork in a large bowl. Add the sweet cheese and mix well.
2. Incorporate the butter, if using. Add the sour cream and finely chopped herbs. Also add the very finely chopped onion, if you like a slight kick.
3. Mix everything until you have a smooth cream, not too thick or too soft. If it's too thick, you can add a little more sour cream.
4. For stuffing the peppers: clean the peppers and cut off the tops. Fill them with the cheese spread using a simple piping bag (without a nozzle, with an opening of about 1 cm). If you don’t have a piping bag, you can use a bag with the tip cut off.
5. After filling the peppers, place them in the refrigerator. The butter will harden, and the filling will set.
6. Cut the stuffed peppers into slices about 8 mm thick with a very sharp knife. Arrange the slices on a platter.
7. For cucumber rolls: cut the cucumber lengthwise into thin strips. You can use a mandoline or a thin slicing knife, but be careful with your fingers (I prefer the knife because I've cut myself with the mandoline a few times).
8. Spread the cheese spread in the middle of the cucumber strips. Roll them tightly and secure them in a base cut from a small tomato (hollow out the center with a small cutter).
9. On top, place a piece of cream cheese for decoration.
10. For pepper boats: cut pieces from the peppers, form small "boats," and fill them with guacamole or cream cheese.
11. For mini-sandwiches: cut slices of toasted bread with a round or flower-shaped cutter. Layer with cheese, chicken pastrami, cream cheese, thin slices of cucumber, tomatoes, radishes, olives, or whatever you have on hand.
12. Garnish everything with fresh herbs, as desired.
Why I Make This Recipe Often
The recipe is quick, flexible, and easily adaptable to whatever I have in the fridge. It can be made in the morning for a snack or for festive platters. It is filling and keeps well in the fridge for a few hours. The vegetables or bread can vary, while the cheese spread remains creamy without being too soft.
Tips and Variations
Tips
- To ensure the filling is firm, use butter at room temperature, then chill.
- Use a very sharp knife for cutting; otherwise, the pepper slices will get squished.
- Cucumber rolls should be assembled just before serving; otherwise, they will soften and won’t hold up well.
- The herbs should be chopped very finely to mix easily into the cream.
Substitutions
- If you don’t have telemea, you can use burrata or feta cheese, but adjust the salt accordingly.
- Very soft sweet cheese won’t hold the cream together; try to find a drier one.
- The sour cream can be low-fat or full-fat.
- You can omit the butter if you want something lighter, but the texture will be slightly different.
Variations
- Add dill instead of parsley for a more classic flavor.
- Mix in a little finely chopped hot pepper for a spicier cream.
- Fill any suitable vegetables with the cream – celery sticks, small tomatoes, or raw mushrooms.
Serving Ideas
- On cold platters, as an appetizer, with slices of toasted bread on the side.
- As mini-sandwiches, with visible layers of cheese, meat, and vegetables.
- As a quick snack for breakfast, just with sliced stuffed peppers.
- For kids, with fun shapes cut out from bread and vegetables.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What type of telemea works best?
Cow or sheep telemea is suitable, as long as it’s not too salty. If it’s too hard, soak it a little to desalt.
2. Can I use sweet cheese from the market?
Yes, but choose a denser and less watery one, so the cream doesn’t become liquid.
3. Can the cream be made without butter?
Yes, just with telemea, sweet cheese, and sour cream. The texture will be slightly softer but still good for stuffing.
4. How do I prevent cucumber rolls from getting soggy?
Assemble them immediately before serving. If they sit too long, the cucumber releases water and loses its shape.
5. If I don’t have a piping bag, how do I fill the peppers?
Use a simple bag, cut a hole about 1 cm at the corner, and squeeze the cream towards the tip. A spoon can also work, but it’s harder to reach the end.
Nutritional Values
Approximately, for a medium serving (about 100 g cream + vegetables):
- Calories: 170-220 kcal
- Protein: 8-12 g
- Fat: 12-17 g
- Carbohydrates: 3-5 g
Values may vary depending on the type of cheese and add-ins. With butter and full-fat sour cream, the fat intake increases.
Storage and Reheating
The cheese spread can be kept in the fridge for up to 24 hours. The stuffed peppers hold up well for a day, but cucumber rolls should be made at serving time; otherwise, they will soften and lose their texture. Mini-sandwiches with toasted bread should be assembled close to serving time, as the bread can get soggy quickly. No reheating is needed; all variations are consumed cold.