Uses for cream cheese stuffed pepperoccini (oil packed)?

[RLovesCooking]

I got some Pepperoccini (stuffed with feta and cream cheese) from Costco a week ago to try them. I love normal pepperoccini on salads, but it weirds me out that the peppers are packed in oil. Makes them oily. They're okay as snacking, but I want some ideas as to what I can use them in/on!

They're also pretty heavy on the cream cheese too. Nice briny/pickled flavor though. But why are they packed in oil instead of brine?

Probably a 6/10. I wouldn't buy them again at the moment, but if I find a great use for them, I'd be willing to get them again!

 

[Gone Hiking]

We buy them occasionally for snacks, salads, or charcuterie boards.

 

[thymeless]

Torch them or broil them, sprinkle with some bread crumbs for crunch like a deconstructed popper

 

[Shining Wizard]

Very common for antipasto

 

[RLovesCooking]

Very common for antipasto

How is antipasto different from charcuterie?

 

[Shining Wizard]

There are two main differences.
Antipasto has a strong Mediterranean character, usually including regional items.

The other difference is the inclusion of cheeses. Charcuterie is more focused on the cold meats and vegetables, and many venues that offer charcuterie will have their cheese boards listed separately.

In other words, the difference is minimal. Load up your charcuterie board with whatever you want. Call it what you want.

 

[dragnlaw]

LOL, I always visualized just like that Wiz but never verbalized it. Yeah, I see charcuterie as mostly cold cuts but yes with cheeses and fruits. Antipasto's could often have little tiny cooked dishes like a tapas.
So now that I've said it... are antipasto and tapas basically the same things?

 

[dragnlaw]

LOl, now according to Google and AI:
antipasto - Italian
tapas - Spanish

so I guess that makes hors d'oeuvres - French

and appetizers are for the rest of the world, often the English speaking ones.

each plate could probably be distinguished/identified by their contents.

 

[Meryl]

Antipasto, from the Latin "ante pastum", literally "before meal" can vary, hot or cold snacks, cured meats, cheeses, canapes, seafood, flans, focacce, pizzette, mini fry-cups, meatballs, various others. Yes, sometimes you can stop at the Antipasto, not necessary for the main course!

 

[pictonguy]

Well, brining fresh cheese like those are just not done basically because it's mostly unsafe causing bacterial growth and that's probably why it's in oil, which is common. Also these aren't part of a dish, these are to be consumed as is.

I also find it weird they use cream cheese because it's just not a traditional cheese in Greece or Italy and it's basically an American invention and doesn't hold a candle to what they actually use as a soft cheese anyway, just a weird product imo.

 

[SGM Chef]

Sliced on Pizza, tucked in a grilled cheese sand., Omelets, stuffed into chic breast/thighs, burger topping, etc.

Don't forget to use the oil, just like sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drizzle on most veg like plain frozen corn for easy elevated side. Pasta and potatoes work for both the solids and the oil. I also work flavored oils into making mayo.

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

Whatg do you do with jalapeno poppers? Do the same thing with cream cheese stuffed pepperoncini.

 

[Shining Wizard]

So, going somewhat off topic, when I used to work in the banqueting department of the hotel, we would often have Italian and Greek weddings come through. They could be insane.
Something that was noticeable was the one-upmanship involved. If cousin Guisipina had 400 guests, we have to have 500. If she had 5 courses, we have to have 6. Some of the reception dinners were so over the top that we couldn’t help but laugh.
A typical menu would be:
Antipasto (either individually plated or a massive share platter).
Prawns and oyster course
Primi- a pasta dish, often cannelloni or lasagna
Secondi- your main dish, often steaks or fish with an array of sides
Dolce- your dessert course. Usually something like Tiramisu or pannacotta or gelato
Then came the wedding cake, then the Italian pastries like canoli, panettone and biscotti.
Coffee, petit four
And of course, booze in abundance.
And bread. Stupid amounts of bread. Bread everywhere, with everything. More bread.

The pepperoccini appears on the antipasto here.
Very fond memories, thanks for allowing me to derail the thread

 

[Meryl]

Well, brining fresh cheese like those are just not done basically because it's mostly unsafe causing bacterial growth and that's probably why it's in oil, which is common. Also these aren't part of a dish, these are to be consumed as is.

I also find it weird they use cream cheese because it's just not a traditional cheese in Greece or Italy and it's basically an American invention and doesn't hold a candle to what they actually use as a soft cheese anyway, just a weird product imo.

Yes, it does sound very strange, I've never seen anything filled with cheese in oil.
We can buy, or make ourselves, little stuffed peperoncini in oil, but they are only filled with capers, olives, canned tuna, anchovies.

 

[Meryl]

So, going somewhat off topic, when I used to work in the banqueting department of the hotel, we would often have Italian and Greek weddings come through. They could be insane.
Something that was noticeable was the one-upmanship involved. If cousin Guisipina had 400 guests, we have to have 500. If she had 5 courses, we have to have 6. Some of the reception dinners were so over the top that we couldn’t help but laugh.
A typical menu would be:
Antipasto (either individually plated or a massive share platter).
Prawns and oyster course
Primi- a pasta dish, often cannelloni or lasagna
Secondi- your main dish, often steaks or fish with an array of sides
Dolce- your dessert course. Usually something like Tiramisu or pannacotta or gelato
Then came the wedding cake, then the Italian pastries like canoli, panettone and biscotti.
Coffee, petit four
And of course, booze in abundance.
And bread. Stupid amounts of bread. Bread everywhere, with everything. More bread.

The pepperoccini appears on the antipasto here.
Very fond memories, thanks for allowing me to derail the thread

I don't know why but it's a common fact that Italians living abroad always go for "over the top" weddings.
They're quite normal over here.

 

[taxlady]

I would imagine that if they were packed in brine, the cream cheese would start dissolving into the brine.

 

[pictonguy]

I would imagine that if they were packed in brine, the cream cheese would start dissolving into the brine.

Yes exactly, it's science.

A brine is basically salt, acid (some king of vinegar) and water and cheese is basically fat and a protein emulsion. The salt pulls the water out of the cheese and the acid breaks the emulsion and basically separate's and the cheese just ends up being mushy, watery and sour and can leak into the brine and a possibility of bacterial growth as well.

Oil on the other hand acts as a barrier with the lack of oxygen and helps stabilize the texture and any flavor, like garlic or pepperoncini for example, that's also transferred into the oil and because of the lack of oxygen preserves the environment.

But like Meryl says cheese is not very common, although I do remember filling the Italian red cherry bomb peppers with anchovies and provolone in a Sicilian home kitchen.

 

[jennyema]

Yes exactly, it's science.



Oil on the other hand acts as a barrier with the lack of oxygen and helps stabilize the texture and any flavor, like garlic or pepperoncini for example, that's also transferred into the oil and because of the lack of oxygen preserves the environment.

The anaerobic environment provided by oil is perfect for botulism to grow, so one needs to be careful about that.

 

[pictonguy]

The anaerobic environment provided by oil is perfect for botulism to grow, so one needs to be careful about that.

Absolutely. That's why the need to pickle most ingredients before using oil. Commercial products in oil have already taken care of that.