This stuffed banana pepper dip recipe has the same flavors as a stuffed banana pepper appetizer in a fancy restaurant.
One of my husband's favorite restaurant appetizers is stuffed banana peppers. So when we were going to a party I thought I'd try making a dip out of the same ingredients.
For this dip I charred the peppers first. That gave them a nice smoky flavor.
All you have to do is hold the pepper over an open flame on the stove with tongs turning slowly until it starts to blister all over. If you don't have a gas stove you could grill the peppers instead.
Or, if you want, you can skip this step, and I'm pretty sure the dip will still taste great.
Sometimes the restaurant will give you some bread to go with the stuffed banana peppers. This is why I served slices of french baguette which is easy to find at the bakery section of the grocery store. And, I like the fact that bread is great for absorbing the hot oil from these spicy peppers.
What to Serve with Stuffed Banana Pepper Dip
- sliced baguette or Italian bread
- tortilla scoops
- pita chips or bread wedges
- crackers
Substitutions
- Try using a different meat. Ground beef, hot Italian sausage or even chorizo.
- Mix up the cheeses. Try fresh mozzarella, and/or adding grated Parmesan or Romano cheese.
- Switch out the marinara. Use tomato sauce, and adding in some fresh basil and oregano.
It's spicy, hearty, warm and cheesy. Great party food that will be gobbled up in no time.
P.S. Finger food is one of my favorite things to bring to a party. If you like a good cheesy dip you may want to try my Pizza Party Dip or this Cheesy Chicken Chili Dip.
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Stuffed Banana Pepper Dip
This stuffed banana pepper dip recipe is similar to stuffed banana peppers you would see in an Italian restaurant in a dip form.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage
- 1 large clove garlic - grated
- 1 cup diced onions
- 5 large hot banana peppers ~ 1 cup
- 1/2 cup marinara sauce
- 3/4 cup shredded Italian cheese blend
Instructions
- Hold peppers over a flame or place on a grill to char.
- Chop peppers removing ends, rib and seeds.
- Saute onions and garlic in olive oil for about a minute.
- Add sausage and brown for another minute
- Add peppers and continue to saute until they are wilted.
- Add marinara and mix well.
- Add cheese reserving a handful (1/4 cup) for the top.
- Transfer to a serving dish and top with remaining cheese.
- Place under broiler to melt cheese.
- Serve with baguette slices, chips or crackers.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 110Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 18mgSodium: 289mgCarbohydrates: 2gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 8g
Jennifer
Your directions say to sauté onions and garlic but onion is not listed in the ingredients.
Patti Estep
Ooops. It should read 1 cup of diced onions. I usually use sweet onions. Good catch Jennifer. Thanks for letting me know.
Carole West
I think you should just have your own restaurant or catering outfit because everything you make looks amazing. This would just be dinner for me so simple and I love food that I can snack on. I also like banana peppers, all peppers in general and they're great for increasing materialism. Need to add these to my planting list it's been a while since I grew this variety.
Patti Estep
Thanks Carole. We do like to eat. Sometimes that's not always a good thing. I've never grown hot banana peppers but I'm sure they are pretty easy like most others.