I named these ‘Boursin Bunny Bites’ (a nice alliteration) when I brought them for a tea after beagling. Fear not, no bunnies were harmed in the making of this simple hors d’oeuvre.
I recently shared a post about fox hunting (Prosciutto and Feta Corn Muffins) and now I’d like to share a bit about beagling. Beagles are similar to foxhounds in that they are both part of the hounds family but they differ in stature – beagles are much shorter. The sport of beagling involves people on foot following beagles who are in search of a rabbit. The intent is not to kill the rabbit and I assure you the rabbit is much faster than the beagles.
We hunt with the Ardrossan Beagles who make their home at Radnor Hunt in Malvern, Pennsylvania. This pack was originally started by Robert Montgomery Scott (son of Helen Hope Montgomery Scott – the inspiration for The Philadelphia Story) on his estate, Adrossan, in Villanova, Pennsylvania.
On this particular day with Ardrossan, we had more rabbit sittings than Ed and I have ever seen – one within minutes of starting out into the field. Beagling is a great way to see the countryside while looking for rabbits and chatting with fellow beaglers. Beagling always ends with a tea (which translates to food and drink although tea is served). It’s a great way for everyone to gather and talk about the hunt.
When I think about what to make for a tea, I look for appetizers that can be easily consumed when one is grazing the food table. These stuffed peppers are both easy to prepare and to eat in a bite or two. They require no cutting or spreading utensils whens serving. I combined Boursin Garlic and Fine Herbs cheese with Neufchâtel cheese (also known as low fat or 1/3 less fat cream cheese in the United States) to make it easier to spread (and less crumbly) into red pepper halves. I refer to this as the original Boursin cheese – if you have access to other Boursin flavors, feel free to substitute another flavor. I recently found Seedless Sweet (Red) Peppers at Wegmans. They are perfect for this recipe (and also for snacking) as there are no seeds to remove (as the name states). Any small mild peppers will do.
To learn more about beagling, check out Virginia Living’s The Gentle Sport of Virginia Beagling. You’ll even see a picture of the Ardrossan pack.
A big thank you to my dear friend, Lauren M (who is also a fellow Ardrossan beagler), for this adorable bunny board. She is helping me grow my collection of bunny accessories. Perfect for beagling and Easter.
| Boursin Stuffed Red Peppers | Print |
- 5.2 ounces (one container) Boursin Garlic & Fine Herbs Cheese
- 4 ounces Neufchâtel cheese (see Notes)
- 1 pound small red, yellow or orange mild peppers (about 15) (see Notes)
- 10 fresh chives, snipped into small pieces
- Place Boursin cheese and Neufchâtel cheese in the bowl of a large food processor. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Transfer to a bowl and cover until ready to use – can be prepared 2 days in advance.
- When ready to serve, cut the stems/tops off the peppers and cut in half lengthwise. Remove any seeds and excess ribs inside the peppers.
- Using a knife, spread the cheese mixture into each pepper half. I found it easier to start at the top of the pepper half (where the stem/top had been) and spread down. You may have some extra cheese mixture (see Notes).
- Transfer stuffed peppers to a platter. Sprinkle snipped chives on top of each pepper.
- Serve at room temperature.
* Neufchâtel cheese is often packed as low fat or ⅓ less fat cream cheese. You’ll find it in the cream cheese section.
* Look for Seedless Sweet Red Peppers – they taste great and don’t have any seeds making this even easier to prepare.
* If you have extra cheese, use it as spread on sandwiches (it’s great with roast beef) or on top of other vegetables such as celery or carrots.
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