Stuff Peppers With Canned Pâté For An Easy Yet Elevated Meal

There's something elegant about food that's enclosed inside another dish. The first bite yields a burst of flavor before discovering the full delicious composition. While stuffed foods are reminiscent of appetizers at a fancy dinner party, you can make your own for supper in only a matter of minutes. All you need are peppers and canned pâté.

Pâté (not to be confused with terrine) is a paste traditionally made from liver and ground meat that has garnered a reputation for being fancy despite its humble roots. Now, the paste is more accessible, sold in cans to quickly elevate your weeknight dinner. You can swipe it onto crackers, serve it on charcuterie boards, or stuff it into peppers, which is one of our favorite creative uses for canned pâté. No pâté tastes the same — the flavors can range from immensely savory to vegetal. No matter which pâté you use, it's always improved upon with the flavor of peppers.

Bell peppers, particularly the red and orange varieties, have a sweet, bright flavor that can easily become a crisp cocoon for your canned pâté. They're large and accessible, so a few pâté-stuffed peppers can be a filling dinner for two. Mini peppers are another excellent choice, allowing for greater customization in terms of flavor. Although they can be eaten raw, you can grill or bake the peppers prior to stuffing them for a caramelized, smoky flavor to balance out the salty pâté.

Good pâté should have enough flavor to hold its own weight, but it never hurts to boost it with a few extra ingredients. The paste is often accompanied with nuts, dried fruits, and other simple ingredients that are sure to be in your pantry. Salmon pâté is a relatively popular variety thanks to its sweet, fishy flavor and creamy feel. Combined with chopped marinated olives and a few crumbs of feta, the salmon is quickly improved with a tangy taste.

Tuna pâté is another seafood-flavored option that typically comes with a delicious blend of spices that give an instant boost to the mild flavor. With canned tuna stuffed peppers being such a classic lazy dinner, you can rely on the same ingredient pairings for an elevated version of the dish. Add a squeeze of lemon juice to the pâté and stir in some Dijon mustard, then top off with chopped parsley and basil.

Chicken liver will forever be a classic pâté variety, and we wouldn't have it any other way. Stuffed into some sweet peppers, give the chicken another flavorful boost via caramelized onions or roasted garlic. Topped off with slivered almonds and a swipe of fig jam, the nutty, earthy flavors are the perfect way to complete savory chicken pâté-stuffed peppers.