Summer and deck weather have finally arrived in Ontario, and that means it’s grilling season!! These pesto and cheese-filled peppers are a quick and easy appetizer that come together in minutes and make a great appetizer, snack or light lunch all summer long.

Summer Grilling

I have a confession to make: I hate summer. Okay, I hate the heat and humidity that comes with summer – maybe that’s more accurate – but I do love grilling, and for that reason alone, I tolerate summer. Thankfully, here in Ontario summer is a season that comes and goes seemingly in the blink of an eye, but that means grilling time is short.

For years now (I can’t say exactly how many), this grilled appetizer is something that goes on our barbecue as soon as the weather is warm enough and the barbecue is opened up, cleaned out, and ready to go. It’s so good and you can switch up the flavours easily which means you never get tired of it. It’s the perfect summer recipe to play with on the grill.

Our produce order from the farm last weekend was loaded with a beautiful rainbow of peppers and we had finally gotten around to cleaning the barbecue, so I knew instantly what I was going to do with them (or at least half of them).

4 Steps to Easy Grilled Pesto Peppers

This recipe is so easy, I’m not even going to post the recipe below. Just follow these simple steps:

• Cut peppers in halves or quarters (the size depends on your peppers and your preference) and clean out seeds.
• Brush the insides of the peppers with pesto (I used basil pesto this time but feel free to switch it up and try different flavours).
• Top peppers with your favourite cheese. We love mozzarella or Goat cheese, but again, use whatever you fancy.
• Place peppers on grill over medium high heat and cook until peppers have softened and cheese is melted. That’s it. Enjoy!

If you have a favourite summer recipe for the grill, share with us!