By First post-first-birthday week. Brayden is fifty-three weeks old and is officially a toddler. The pediatrician’s twelve-month appointment is Tuesday afternoon. The apartment is settling into the post-first-birthday rhythm after the high-intensity weekend.
The fiery stuffed poblanos are a roasted-pepper main course — whole poblano peppers roasted under the broiler until the skins are charred, peeled and slit open, stuffed with a chorizo-and-rice-and-cheese filling, baked in tomato sauce at three-fifty for thirty minutes, finished with crumbled queso fresco and chopped cilantro at the table. The dish is spicy but not searing — the poblano’s heat is moderate and the chorizo is the assertive flavor element.
The technique question is the pepper-peeling step. The blackened skin needs to come off before the pepper is stuffed (the texture of charred skin in a finished dish is unpleasant). The fix is wrapping the still-hot peppers in a paper bag for ten minutes to steam — the skin loosens and slips off in sheets. Without the steam-step the peeling is tedious.
Sunday I made four stuffed poblanos. Dustin had two. I had one. Brayden had a small portion of the rice-and-cheese filling (no chorizo, no pepper, no sauce). The leftover went into the freezer for a Tuesday-or-Wednesday lunch.
Fiery Stuffed Poblanos
Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 30 min | Total Time: 50 min | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 4 large poblano peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded
- 1 lb lean ground turkey or beef
- 1 cup cooked brown rice
- 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
- 1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (adjust to heat preference)
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup shredded pepper jack cheese, divided
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Fresh cilantro and lime wedges, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven. Heat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a large baking dish with nonstick spray or a drizzle of olive oil.
- Prep the peppers. Halve the poblanos lengthwise and remove seeds and membranes. Brush the cut sides lightly with olive oil and arrange cut-side up in the baking dish.
- Par-roast the peppers. Roast the poblano halves for 10 minutes until just beginning to soften. Remove from oven and set aside. Leave oven on.
- Cook the filling. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground meat, breaking it apart, about 6–8 minutes. Drain any excess fat. Stir in chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, and salt.
- Combine. Add the cooked rice, black beans, corn, and drained diced tomatoes with green chiles to the skillet. Stir to combine and cook for 2–3 minutes until heated through. Remove from heat and stir in 1/4 cup of the shredded cheese.
- Stuff the peppers. Spoon the filling generously into each par-roasted poblano half, mounding slightly. Top each with the remaining pepper jack cheese.
- Bake. Return the dish to the oven and bake for 15–18 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the peppers are tender.
- Serve. Let rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime if desired. Serve two halves per person.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 420 | Protein: 34g | Fat: 16g | Carbs: 38g | Fiber: 9g | Sodium: 610mg