It’s high time we acknowledged that the grill is not just a toy for meat lovers. In fact, it’s a perfect tool to celebrate summer’s bounty of produce! When the weather is nice and your backyard garden is overflowing, fresh veggies on the grill is a no-brainer. Stuff those veggies full of cheese, and you’ve got yourself a delicious, vegetarian meal.

From zucchini to eggplant, there are seemingly infinite combinations of cheese and summertime vegetables, but right now, we’re all about stuffed peppers. The variety that peppers exhibit between spiciness, sweetness, and smokiness make them an easy target for the pairing enthusiast. 

For something sweet and zingy, try The Kitchn‘s recipe for Corn and Goat Cheese Stuffed Peppers. The tang of the chèvre balances out the buttery corn, and smoky poblanos or Anaheims make the perfect encasing. 

If you’re craving something with a bit more kick, blogger Honey, What’s Cooking? has an easy recipe for making spicy bar snacks at home. Her Baked Jalepeño Poppers are filled with cream cheese and a generous dousing of cayenne to up the spice factor. 

If you can’t decide on the perfect pepper and cheese combo, try a hodgepodge of ingredients instead. This recipe from Food & Wine yields blistery baby bell peppers, Anaheims, and poblanos that ooze with a melted mixture of ricotta, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and cream cheese.

So there it is– an easy fix to hot-weather chef’s block. Just pick a peck of peppers, and get stuffing!

Photo by Erin Alderson

Amanda Minoff

Amanda graduated from Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine with a degree in English Literature and Art History. She is a reader and writer of fiction and loves cheese that tells a good story.