buffalo chicken stuffed pepper boats

     Buffalo chicken and blue cheese is my weakness. The moment I see anything involving the two on a restaurant menu it's all over - no other option stands a chance to be ordered. In fact, I was vegetarian for 7 years (long, long ago) and the thing that made me stop was how badly I was craving buffalo wings! So when I had my most recent craving for the delicious combo I decided I was perfectly capable of satisfying my desires at home instead of going out to eat. 

     When I made these my friends Dana and Clare were over and they DEVOURED them! They even commented on the fact that each color of bell pepper made the boats taste just a little different - Dana's favorite was the orange, Clare's favorite was the red, and I couldn't pick...they were all so good!

     These are also great for this time of year - food for football on Sunday's, warm days yet chilly nights, enjoying the end of season peppers from farmers markets. You'll be pleasantly surprised how easy these are to make. And, really, you could skip the pepper part if you wanted and just make the filling...let's not pretend like the pepper is the star of the show! I would happily eat the buffalo chicken filling by the spoonful. And may or may not have done so while I was making these...

Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Pepper Boats
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 6-8 pepper halves

You Will Need:

• 1.5 lbs chicken breast
• 3-4 smallish bell peppers, assorted colors, halved lengthwise and de-seeded
• 1 cup Louisiana style hot sauce (such as Frank's)
• 4 oz blue cheese, crumbled
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 TBS chives, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
• 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Place chicken breasts in a medium pot and fill with water to cover chicken with a sprinkle of salt. Bring to a boil, then down to a gentle boil with a lid slightly ajar on the pot. Cook until no longer pink in the middle, 15-20 minutes. 
2. When chicken is cooked through, drain and place chicken breasts in a separate large bowl. Using two forks, shred chicken into small pieces.
3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In the bowl with the shredded chicken, add the rest of the ingredients and stir until well combined.
4. Place pepper halves on a baking sheet and spoon the buffalo chicken mixture into each half, making sure to push down so that they actually fill the pepper. 
5. Bake for 20 minutes then remove from oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes before eating. Enjoy!