Preheat your oven to 190°C (170°C fan). While it heats, bring a large pot of water to a gentle boil. Carefully slice each bell pepper in half lengthways, through the stem if you can, and remove all the seeds and white membranes. Drop the pepper halves into the boiling water for 3 minutes — you’ll see the skins turn just slightly brighter and feel the flesh soften when you poke it with a fork. Drain them well and set aside, cut-side down, on a clean tea towel to steam off excess moisture.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the shredded chicken, buffalo wing sauce, melted butter, softened cream cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and black pepper. Stir everything together with a wooden spoon until the cream cheese is fully incorporated and the mixture looks cohesive and creamy — the colour should be an even, pale orange and the texture should be thick but spreadable, with no dry patches of chicken.

Fold in half of the grated cheddar and half of the mozzarella, along with the sliced spring onions. Give it one more good stir. At this point, the mixture will smell wonderfully tangy and buttery, with a slight kick from the buffalo sauce that makes your nose tingle.

Lightly grease a baking dish (large enough to hold all 8 pepper halves snugly) with a drizzle of olive oil. Arrange the blanched pepper halves cut-side up in the dish. Using a spoon or your hands, divide the chicken mixture evenly among the peppers, pressing it down gently so it fills every corner — the filling should mound slightly above the rim of each pepper.

Sprinkle the remaining cheddar and mozzarella over the tops, dividing it evenly. You want a generous, even blanket of cheese — it will melt into a golden, bubbling crust that contrasts beautifully with the soft pepper underneath.

Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and starting to brown in spots — you’ll see the edges of the peppers wrinkling slightly and the filling bubbling at the sides. If you want a darker, crispier top, switch the oven to grill (broil) for the final 2 minutes, watching closely so it doesn’t burn. Remove from the oven and let them rest for 2 minutes — the cheese will set just enough that it doesn’t slide off when you lift a pepper.

Garnish with extra spring onions and a sprinkle of fresh chives or parsley if you like. Serve immediately, with a side of crunchy celery sticks and a dollop of cool soured cream or ranch dressing if the heat is a bit much for little ones.