17 Pepper Recipes to Spice Up Your Life

Kim Lane
Aug 26, 2014

We’ll eat peppers any way they come… raw, cooked, cracked and in any of their vibrant colors. We love finding different uses for the delicious vegetable, so we’ve put together 17 recipes to share the pepper love. You can stuff them, dip them, purée them and make tons of delicious sandwiches and soups with them. Each of these dishes is so colorful and fun that they’re sure to be the feature of your next Instagram post!

1. Bell Pepper Nachos: Trying to cut back on those salty chips? Try a bell pepper slice instead! This trick will enhance your flavors and add an element of surprise to your snack. (recipe via Sweet Pea’s Kitchen)

2. Red Pepper Hummus: Make your hummus with a kick by adding red bell pepper. This is an easy recipe and a fun twist on the traditional style. (via Design Dining Diapers)

3. Egg Flowers: Love photo-worthy food? These flower eggs are easy and entertaining to make. Just cut the your bell pepper into slices and crack an egg in the middle! (via Apron Strings)

4. Pepper Chicken: These mouthwatering chicken tenders are packed with flavor and are a great finger food for your next gathering. (via Half Baked Harvest)

5. Pepper Jack Cheese Sticks: Love cheese? So do we, and these pepper jack cheese sticks are a great way to spice up one of your favorite snack foods. (via Life’s Ambrosia)

6. Stuffed Peppers: Throwing a fiesta? These open-faced peppers are quick, healthy and perfect for any themed party or quick dinner. Don’t forget the Cinco de Mayo jello shots too! (via A Few Shortcuts)

7. Panzanella: Onions, peppers, cheese, tomatoes and bread in one dish? Yes! Yum. (via Love + Lemons)

8. Pepper Salad: We are always looking for great salad recipes, and we are loving this bell pepper pick right now. This is perfect for an appetizer or side dish, and even tastes great leftover. (via Natasha’s Kitchen)

9. Veggie Burger: We dig burgers of all kinds, and this red pepper version has us drooling. Top it off with some smoked paprika mayonnaise! (via Williams-Sonoma)

10. Red Pepper Pesto Sandwich: How cute are these sandwiches? This pesto and meatloaf creation is a great twist on traditional meatloaf, and is way more fun. (via Cravings of a Lunatic)

11. Red Pepper Grilled Cheese: If you’re always looking for an excuse to eat grilled cheese, this red pepper variety should be next on your list! (via Closet Cooking)

12. Red Pepper Soup: This one-pot-wonder only has four ingredients and is soup-er delicious! (via Your Homebased Mom)

13. Pepper and Onion Sandwich: Try this flavor-packed sandwich. With Italian sausage, caramelized onions and roasted red peppers, how can you go wrong? (via Cravings of a Lunatic)

14. Stuffed Poblanos: Your game day lineup just met its match. Stuffed poblano peppers are sure to please the fans! (via How Sweet It Is)

15. Enchilada Peppers: This twist on the enchilada is not only colorful and inviting, it comes in its own edible bowl! (via Sugar Bee Crafts)

16. Pepper Soup: Want the comfort of chili with a fresh taste? Try this hearty stuffed pepper soup! (via Skinny Taste)

17. Pepper Cod: Spice up your fish dish with this quick cracked pepper cod recipe. (via Roti + Rice)

Are you a pepper person? Which of these dishes will you be trying? Tell us in the comments below!

5 “Classic” Easter Chocolates, Ranked By A Certified Sweet Tooth

I am undeniably a chocolate lover by nature, and aside from Christmas, Easter is one of my favoritesweet treat-centered holidays because all the festive egg- and bunny-shaped chocolates hit shelves, sparking my cravings (and teasing my wallet).

I’ve probably tried every kind of Easter chocolate under the sun, so I’m ranking the 5 I view as the most classic. All of these Easter chocolates are great in their own ways and will certainly satisfy anyone when added to their Easter basket, so take this ranking with a grain of salt.

Read on for my full ranking of the 5 best classic Easter chocolates.

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1. Cadbury Crème Eggs

When I think of Easter chocolates, my mind immediately goes to Cadbury Crème Eggs. They’re filled with a gooey fondant that is downright addictive. Once you break through the chocolate shell, you’re faced with a deliciously silky sugar concoction that, for me, feels really nostalgic to snack on since I’d get one in my Easter basket just about every year.

While some people may find ‘em too decadent, I think Cadbury Crème Eggs are the #1 Easter chocolate, hands-down, because they’re always tasty. We love a reliable treat – but you definitely do have to enjoy these one at a time since they’re undeniably rich.

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2. Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs

Next up on my (very subjective) ranking of Easter chocolates is none other than Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs! I’ll take Reese’s stunning peanut butter filling in any form I can have it, but the egg shape this treat takes on for Easter just makes it feel even more special.

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Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs totally master the perfect balance of chocolate and peanut butter, which can be a nice departure for my tastebuds from just straight-up chocolate, like the other Easter chocolates on this list. Thus, I’m placing it in the #2 spot.

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3. Easter M&M’s

I love me a colorful treat, and I love me some M&M’s – which is why the Easter M&M’s that come in the cutest pastels every April simply had to place somewhere this ranking.

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Though I don’t view these as the most show-stopping Easter chocolates (they’re quite literally the same as the regular M&M’s you can get year-round in flavor and form), they’re still a festive treat worth snagging from the store. By themselves, I have to put them in the #3 spot – though I’d consider granting more points if you give ‘em to me on top of a slice of Easter cake.

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4. Cadbury Mini Eggs

My note about colors also applies to the next Easter chocolate: Cadbury Mini Eggs. Decked out in adorable pastel candy shells, these egg-shaped chocolates always come around at Eastertime – though they’re not really the first thing I reach for. Though, when I do get my hands on them, I find that their small size makes them extremely snackable, and they disappear quite quickly.

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5. Chocolate Bunnies

I don't mean to be the Scrooge of Easter, but at this point, chocolate bunnies are so expected. I have eaten many in my lifetime, but they never truly blow me away. Don’t get me wrong: I still love chocolate, but there’s also something that feels so wrong when I bite off the bunny’s ears. And face. And body.

It would take a really great chocolate bunny to impress me – most ones I’ve had are lower in quality and vary in being too thick or too thin to bite into easily.

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7 Simple Travel Hacks That'll Change The Way You Fly

Flying doesn’t always have to be a stressful, chaotic experience. In fact, there are plenty of genius tricks to keep in your back pocket to make traveling as seamless and smooth as possible! From sneaky packing strategies to in-flight essentials you didn’t know you needed, these 7 simple travelhacks might just change the way you fly forever.

Scroll on for our 7 go-to travel hacks for making the trip easier every time.

Timur Weber / PEXELS

1. Roll your clothes.

Rolling your clothes is a huge help in saving space inside your backpack, duffle bag, or suitcase. Rolling garments tightly and packing them in is surprisingly much more efficient than traditional folding methods – plus it reduces wrinkles. Rolling comes in especially handy for bulkier items like maxi dresses, jeans, and jackets.

Timur Weber / PEXELS

2. Use packing cubes.

If you want to maximize even more space within your bag, packing cubes are definitely worth investing in. You can still roll your garments to pack ‘em, but placing them in packing cubes compresses their size down further. Plus, with multiple packing cubes, you can label each one and keep your things organized and easily accessible.

Tima Miroshnichenko / PEXELS

3. Bring an empty water bottle.

If you’re not doing this at the airport, what are you doing?! Probably spending $8 on a single bottled water. C’mon – bringing an empty water bottle is the simplest of all travel hacks. Just arrive with it completely empty to later fill it after passing through the TSA line. You’ll avoid paying for overpriced airport water and have limitless refill opportunities, even after you've arrived at your destination.

Valeriia Miller / PEXELS

4. Stuff small items inside shoes.

In the vein of more space-saving packing tricks, don’t underestimate the power of your shoes! From sneakers to boots, it’s so easy to use the insides of them to pack socks, lip balms, phone chargers, jewelry, or other small items.

Anna Shvets / PEXELS

5. Use a pill organizer for small items.

You can also easily leverage a pill organizer for the smallest of your small items like rings, earrings, earplugs, and more. Of course, you can still use a pill organizer for necessary medications or those ‘just in case’ painkillers.

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6. Bring a travel pillow and eye mask.

Travel pillows and eye masks are absolutely essential for long flights, or even shorter trips that you foresee yourself sleeping on. Bring them on your next flight, and you’ll immediately notice the difference from not flying with these must-have accessories.

Anna Gordon / Dupe

7. Download entertainment before you board.

Finally, to avoid risking total in-flight boredom, make sure you plan ahead and download your desired form of entertainment beforehand! Since you can’t always rely on in-flight wifi, pick out and download the movies, music, or audiobooks you want to tune into in advance. For a screen-free moment, you can never go wrong with a book or crossword puzzle booklet!

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'The Handmaid's Sequel 'The Testaments' Just Got An Exciting Cast & Production Update!

The Handmaid's Tale is one of the best, yet eerily specific dystopian shows we've watched which is why we couldn't wait to see Offred get her sweet revenge. It's without a doubt Margaret Atwood's most memorable books so we're excited The Testaments, the sequel to the exhilarating series, is in the works! Adaptations can be a hit or miss, but we have high hopes for this one based on how its predecessors had us glued to TV screens.

Learn everything we know about the highly-anticipated The Testaments series!

What is 'The Testaments' about?

Euan Cherry/Getty Images

The Testaments is set to follow the book's plot (via Variety) and will feature three central characters — Aunty Lydia, Agnes, and Daisy. As the Republic of Gilead continues its rampage, the intersection of their lives changes the course of history.

Deadline's official synopsis of the show says it's a "coming-of-age story" that follows "a new generation of young women in Gilead, grappling with the bleak future that awaits them." The bleak part is "growing up in Gilead is all they have ever known, having no tangible memories of the outside world before their indoctrination into this life."

During a time where marriage is highly praised and sought after, these young girls will have to find friendship among each other and anyone who's willing to positively guide them from girlhood to being women. Not only that, but they'll have to see if they have what it takes to break free from Gilead's oppressive reign.

Is casting information available?

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Yesterday Variety announced Lucy Halliday (Blue Jean) will be playing Daisy! Aside from her, Ann Dowd will be reprising her role as Aunt Lydia while Chase Infiniti will portray Agnes. Deadline also reports Mabel Li, Amy Seimetz, Brad Alexander, Zarrin Darnell-Martin, Eva Foote, Isolde Ardies, Shechinah Mpumlwana, Birva Pandya, and Kira Guloien will be joining The Testaments.

Their roles are as follows:

  • Mabel Li as Aunt Vidala, a no-nonsense figure & heiress of the "women's sphere of Gilead"
  • Amy Seimetz as Paula, a newlywed to a prominent Commander who has an interesting daughter
  • Brad Alexander as another Commander who develops a close relationship to the girls under his watchful eye
  • Zarrin Darnell-Martin as Aunt Gabbana, a close friend of Aunt Vidala
  • Eva Foote as Aunt Estee, a well-liked "Aunt"
  • Isolde Ardies as Hulda, a hopeful young girl
  • Shechinah Mpumlwana as Jehosheba, a young girl who only cares about securing a marriage that'll catapult her status in life
  • Birva Pandya as Miriam, a young girl who's anxious about marriage
  • Kira Guloien as Rose, a "Martha" who helps guide Agnes as best as she can
  • Rowan Blanchard as Shunammite
  • Mattea Conforti as Becka

Who's the showrunner for 'The Testaments?' 

Variety confirmed Bruce Miller will bring his insightful eye from The Handmaid's Tale to The Testaments. He will also be an executive producer with Warren Littlefield (War Game) and Steve Stark (Fargo).

When will 'The Testaments' premiere? 

The Testaments doesn't have a premiere date yet, but production for the upcoming series begins Monday, April 7 (via Deadline).

Read 'The Testaments' Before You Watch The Show

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The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

Reread this fantastic novel before the final season of The Handmaid's Tale premieres April 8, 2025 (via PEOPLE).

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This post has been updated.

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