Awesome appetizer: Stuffed mini peppers with chorizo and cream cheese

This is a fabulous addition to your game day menu. If you find these mini sweet peppers in the grocery store or at the farmer's market and don't know what to do with them, you have to give this recipe a try. This stuffed appetizer is a mouthful of spicy, sweet goodness (much like Charo whenever she was on The Love Boat).

What you'll need:

• Bulk chorizo
• Mini sweet peppers
• Block of cream cheese
• Chopped fresh herbs like basil, Italian parsley, oregano 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prep the peppers by cutting the tops off and pulling out the seeds and ribs. I use a cupcake pan to roast the peppers, so they stay upright.

Put a frying pan on medium-high heat, and cook the chorizo until browned, about 10 minutes.

In a bowl, add the block of cream cheese, chopped fresh herbs, and cooked chorizo (still hot from the pan). I prefer to use fresh basil for this dish, but I don't have any on hand, so I'm using Italian parsley and oregano. If you plan ahead, you can leave the cream cheese out to soften, but it's not necessary as the heat from the cooked chorizo will soften it up in the bowl.

Mix together until well blended.

Now you're ready to stuff the peppers. Season the peppers with salt and pepper, then add the chorizo mixture. Be sure to push the filling into the peppers, so it's completely filled to the top.

Roast the peppers in the oven for 20-30 minutes at 400 degrees until the tops are browned and the peppers are soft. If you like a firmer pepper, take them out of the oven sooner.

Let them cool a little before handling them. Roasting the peppers brings out their natural sweetness. Combine that with the spiciness of the chorizo and tangy, creaminess of the cream cheese, and you've got an appetizer worthy of the Lombardi trophy.