Roasted red peppers have to be one of my favorite foods and right now the farmers market is filled with perfectly field ripened red peppers that are just waiting to be roasted. Roasting the red peppers makes them nice and tender and it intensifies their flavour and sweetness along with imparting them with a touch of smokiness. Although you could easily buy jarred roasted red peppers, they are so easy to make at home and always good! There are several ways of roasting tried peppers and I find the easiest way is to broil them in the oven one large baking sheet at a time. You can easily use this method to roast other peppers like poblanos or even jalapeños.
Roasted red peppers keep really well in the freezer so every year around this time I pick up a large basket full of those red peppers from the farmers market and I spend a weekend roasting them all up. I like to freeze the roasted red peppers individually in zip-lock sandwich bags so that I can quickly grab them as needed throughout the rest of the year. Although you can peel the skins off before freezing them I tend to leave them on as it would take a bit of time to peel them all up front whereas it only takes a moment to peel the one you are using when you thaw it.
Some of the tricks to roasting red peppers is to let the skin fully char and blacken. As it does it blisters up of of the flesh making it easier to peel. Another trick is placing the charred red peppers in a sealed container while they are still hot. This created a kind of steaming effect while they cool that also makes them easier to peel. You can use any type of sealable container or even a plate on top of a bowl would work. Just let them sit in the container until they are cool enough to handle and then the skin should easily pinch off. When I am freezing the peppers the zip-lock bags that I will store them in are perfect but if I am making them to use right away I prefer to use a reusable container.
How to Roast Red Peppers
(makes 1 roasted red pepper)Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
red peppers
red peppers
Directions:
1. Cut the red peppers in half, remove the stem and seeds.
2. Place the red peppers on a baking sheet with the cut side facing down.
3. Preheat the oven to 450F and then change it to broil.
4. Place the baking sheet on the top shelf in the oven and broil until the outer layer of the skin has blackened, about 10-20 minutes.
5. Place the peppers in a zip-lock bag or other sealable container, seal and let them cool until you can handle them, about 20 minutes.
6. Remove the skins from the peppers. The skins should easily "pinch" off.
1. Cut the red peppers in half, remove the stem and seeds.
2. Place the red peppers on a baking sheet with the cut side facing down.
3. Preheat the oven to 450F and then change it to broil.
4. Place the baking sheet on the top shelf in the oven and broil until the outer layer of the skin has blackened, about 10-20 minutes.
5. Place the peppers in a zip-lock bag or other sealable container, seal and let them cool until you can handle them, about 20 minutes.
6. Remove the skins from the peppers. The skins should easily "pinch" off.
Use in:
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Roasted Red Pepper Pesto
Htipiti (Greek Roasted Red Pepper and Feta Cheese Dip)
White Bean and Roasted Red Pepper Dip
Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
Muhammara (Middle Eastern Pepper and Walnut Dip)
Marinated Feta with Olives and Roasted Red Pepper
Roasted Red Pepper and Feta Rice
Chicken Gyros
Roasted Red Pepper, Pistachio and Feta Stuffed Chicken
Grilled Portobello and Roasted Red Pepper Sandwich with Pistachio Pesto
Grilled Vegetable Panini
Chicken and Roasted Red Pepper Panini with Cilantro Pesto and Feta
Balsamic Glazed Chicken Sandwich with Roasted Red Peppers and Goat Cheese
Italian Sausage and Roasted Red Pepper Lentil Stew
Roasted Cauliflower and Red Pepper Farro Salad
Roasted Eggplant, Red Pepper and Green Bean Pomegranate Salad
Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Salad
Pasta with Italian Sausage, Roasted Red Peppers, Olives and Goat Cheese
Roasted Cauliflower and Red Pepper Soup
Roasted Asparagus and Red Pepper Farro Salad
Roasted Tomato Soup
Black Bean and Roasted Pepper Soup
Zucchini Bread with Roasted Red Peppers and Feta
Pizza with Grilled Chicken, Roasted Red Peppers, and Asiago Cheese
Roasted Red Pepper and Feta Quinoa Salad
Greek Style Roasted Red Pepper Pesto
'Souvlaki' Chicken Salad Sandwich with Roasted Red Peppers and Feta
Roasted Red Pepper and Feta Fritters
Roasted Red Pepper and Italian Sausage Frittata topped with Marinara and Mozzarella
Goat Cheese, Roasted Red Pepper and Kalamata Olive Mac n Cheese
Italian Sausage and Roasted Red Pepper Omelette Topped with Marinara Sauce
Roasted Red Pepper and Feta Mashed Potatoes
Roasted Red Pepper and Walnut Pesto
Cucumber and Feta Rolls
