What’s better than cheese, (breaded and fried) and then dipped in marinara?? THIS!

It’s the ultimate summer appetizer but there’s no frying involved and the ‘breading’ is in the form of croutons. It also requires some beautiful red bell peppers.

It’s an easy one so be sure to add this to your next summer BBQ menu.

First, let’s start with those pretty peppers!!

These need to be able to stand up on the grill so don’t get wonky, odd shaped guys. Also, you’ll want them all to be generally the same size.

Next? We’ll cut the topes off (about a quarter of an inch) and get rid of the seeds.

It’s not always possible to keep the green stem (for ‘pretty factor’ only) so don’t fret.

Next, let’s prep our mozzarella…..for four peppers, I used about 2lbs of fresh cheese.

I seasoned it with some dried basil, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and a bit of dried thyme…fresh basil, torn, would have been the best choice.

Then it’s time to add croutons to the mix (I used Cesar seasoned croutons but any kind will do). Add about 2 cups to the cheese and stuff the pepper. Place the caps back on and secure with toothpicks.

Grill on indirect heat until the cheese is melted and the bell peppers are slightly charred (about 15 minutes).

Remove the toothpicks, let the peppers rest for ten minutes and then slice into quarters.

Drizzle with a bit of balsamic vinegar and serve them up!! Amazingly tasty and very pretty. 🙂