If you follow a keto diet and miss that occasional sandwich, you can still enjoy a sandwich-like dish using bell pepper and your favorite fillings. The bell pepper offers a satisfying crunch and adds extra flavor to whatever filling you like.
This version contains a delicious filling combination of ultra-thin slices of ham and cheese, thinly sliced cucumber, cream cheese, whole-grain mustard, and avocado slices or guacamole. Add a dash of salt and pepper or seasoning salt to taste, and layer it all in a halved bell pepper!
Any color bell pepper is fine, but keep in mind green bell peppers are slightly lower in carbs than sweeter red, yellow, and orange varieties. Serve your sandwich with baked avocado chips, Parmesan crisps, or keto tortilla chips.
“Super easy to assemble, this bell pepper sandwich was fantastic. The suggested fillings are a great combination that plays well off the pepper’s flavor, and the mustard was a nice contrast to the softer ingredients. I also found that it’s more filling than most bread sandwiches, so bring your appetite!” -Colleen Graham
A Note From Our Recipe Tester
Ingredients
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1 medium bell pepper
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1 1/2 ounces cream cheese, about 2 to 3 tablespoons
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1 teaspoon whole-grain mustard
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2 ounces thinly sliced ham
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1 1/2 ounces thinly sliced swiss cheese
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1/2 small cucumber, about 6 to 8 thin slices
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2 tablespoons guacamole, or a few slices of avocado
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1 dash salt, or seasoned salt, to taste
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1 dash ground black pepper, to taste
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients.
The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
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With a sharp knife, remove the stem end of the pepper. Cut the pepper in half lengthwise and remove the ribs and seeds.
The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
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Lay the pepper halves on a cutting board, cut-side up, and spread cream cheese on each half. Spread some whole-grain mustard on the cream cheese.
The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
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Layer ham, cheese, cucumbers, and guacamole or avocado slices on each half.
The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
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Put the halves together to form a sandwich and enjoy.
The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck
Recipe Variations
The filling possibilities for these bell pepper sandwiches are endless. Here are some ideas for more low carb and keto fillings:
- Instead of Swiss, use thinly sliced or shredded cheddar, American, provolone, or pepper jack cheese.
- Make your bell pepper sandwich with thinly sliced deli turkey, chicken, buffalo chicken, or roast beef.
- Add a few strips of cooked bacon to any filling combination.
- Make a bell pepper BLT with mayonnaise, lettuce, a few thin slices of tomato, and strips of cooked bacon.
- Fill it with chicken salad, such as Buffalo chicken salad, or chicken salad with herbs.
- Try the sandwich with a basic egg salad or keto egg salad with avocado.
- Instead of cream cheese, use mayonnaise or a simple flavorful aioli. Soft goat cheese or flavored Boursin cheese are excellent alternatives as well.
- Replace the plain cream cheese with the blue cheese spread or use a vegan cream cheese.
- Season the spread or mayo with Everything Bagel Seasoning or your favorite seasoning combination.
- Make a low-carb Reuben with layers of thinly sliced or shredded corned beef, Swiss cheese, a bit of sauerkraut, and Thousand Island dressing.
- Make a low-carb bell pepper Cubano with mustard and layers of roast pork, ham, salami, Swiss cheese, and sliced dill pickles.
- For a vegetarian sandwich, use low-carb proteins with the vegetables, such as extra firm tofu, Beyond meats, or other plant-based proteins (check carbs).
Are bell pepper sandwiches good for weight loss?
Bell peppers contain fewer calories and carbs than bread, and the bell pepper sandwich is surprisingly filling. Both of these factors can play a positive role in any diet while offering an extra serving of veggies. However, the sandwich fillings you choose will also affect the nutrition.
