Kajmak Stuffed Mini Peppers Balkan Meze 🌶️🧀

Description

Kajmak Stuffed Mini Peppers are juicy, creamy, smoky, and deeply Balkan, with roasted sweet peppers filled with kajmak, white brined cheese, garlic, herbs, and a glossy ajvar glaze. This appetizer feels rustic but premium, rich but fresh, and perfect for a meze table, party platter, or warm bread board. ✨

Hook ✨

Sweet roasted peppers, creamy kajmak, salty cheese, and smoky ajvar come together in one soft, glossy, irresistible Balkan bite. 🌶️

Ingredients

• Pepper base 🫑
• 🫑 500 g mini sweet peppers (18 oz)
• 🫒 30 ml olive oil (2 tbsp / 1 fl oz)
• 🧂 3 g fine sea salt (½ tsp / 0.1 oz)
• ⚫ 1 g black pepper (½ tsp / 0.04 oz)
• Creamy kajmak filling 🧀
• 🧀 180 g kajmak (¾ cup / 6.3 oz)
• 🧀 150 g white brined cheese or feta, crumbled (1 cup / 5.3 oz)
• 🥣 60 g thick yogurt or sour cream (¼ cup / 2.1 oz)
• 🧄 4 g garlic, finely grated (1 small clove / 0.14 oz)
• 🌿 10 g fresh parsley, finely chopped (¼ cup / 0.35 oz)
• 🌶️ 2 g mild paprika (1 tsp / 0.07 oz)
• 🍋 10 ml lemon juice (2 tsp / 0.34 fl oz)
• Ajvar glaze 🌶️
• 🌶️ 80 g ajvar (⅓ cup / 2.8 oz)
• 🫒 15 ml olive oil (1 tbsp / 0.5 fl oz)
• 🍯 7 g honey (1 tsp / 0.25 oz)
• 🍋 5 ml lemon juice (1 tsp / 0.17 fl oz)
• Finish 🌿
• 🌿 5 g fresh parsley, finely chopped (2 tbsp / 0.18 oz)
• 🌶️ 1 g chili flakes, optional (½ tsp / 0.04 oz)
• 🥖 300 g warm flatbread or crusty bread, for serving (10.6 oz)

Preparation

1. 1️⃣ Prepare the peppers 🫑
2. Heat the oven to 220°C (425°F). Halve the mini peppers lengthwise and remove the seeds. Place them cut-side up on a baking tray lined with parchment.
3. 2️⃣ Roast until glossy 🔥
4. Drizzle the peppers with olive oil, then season with salt and black pepper. Roast for 12 min until softened, lightly blistered around the edges, and still strong enough to hold the filling.
5. 3️⃣ Mix the kajmak filling 🧀
6. In a bowl, combine kajmak, crumbled white brined cheese, yogurt, garlic, parsley, paprika, and lemon juice. Mix until creamy but still slightly textured. Taste before adding extra salt because the cheese and kajmak are already salty.
7. 4️⃣ Fill generously 🥄
8. Let the roasted peppers cool for 5 min. Spoon the kajmak filling into each pepper half, keeping the filling slightly raised so every piece looks rich and abundant.
9. 5️⃣ Make the ajvar glaze 🌶️
10. In a small pan, warm ajvar, olive oil, honey, and lemon juice over low heat for 2–3 min, just until glossy and spoonable. Do not boil, because the glaze should stay smooth and bright.
11. 6️⃣ Finish and serve ✨
12. Drizzle the warm ajvar glaze over the stuffed peppers. Sprinkle with parsley and chili flakes if using. Serve warm or at room temperature with flatbread or crusty bread.

Total Time

⏱ Prep: 20 min
🔥 Cook/Bake: 15 min
🛋 Rest: 5 min
⏰ Total: 40 min

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