Stuffed Poblano Peppers

 Cuisine: TexMex

Inspiration: I saw this recipe on Elly Says Opa a while back and have had it bookmarked ever since. B and I love Mexican and TexMex food, but a lot of times that kind of food means a ton of cheese and calories. I really get excited when I find Mexican or TexMex recipes that are healthy, and this is definitely one of them. We love to have Mexican food on the weekends, when we typically cheat a little bit and have more caloric meals, but with this recipe, we got the best of both worlds – a great TexMex meal that was healthy, too.

What we Loved: This recipe was fantastic in every way. Poblano peppers have such a rich and smoky flavor, and while they were baking in the oven they made my house smell wonderful. Added to the flavors of the filling (chicken sausage, corn, fresh salsa, onions, and spices), the flavor combination was spicy and delicious. Rather than using a tomato-based salsa, I used some leftover cilantro salsa that I had in the freezer, and I also added some fresh cilantro as a garnish. I thought that this added a nice freshness to the dish, and I also enjoyed the manchego cheese melted on top of the peppers. Manchego has a great nutty flavor, and having baked in the oven, it also got that nice added layer of flavor that comes from browning cheese. Chicken sausage (which you can always find at Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods) is very healthy, so with this recipe you get the benefit of a meaty and filling meal without the calories or fat.

Helpful Hints: Definitely wear a pair of kitchen gloves when dealing with cutting open peppers and removing the seeds. For some reason I always insist on doing this with my bare hands, and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been left with burning red hands for the rest of the evening and a pair of ruined contacts that burn into my eyes when I try to put them back in the next morning. Poblano peppers aren’t particularly hot, but I still had issues after removing the seeds without wearing gloves, so I would highly recommend wearing them.

Similar Recipes: Stuffed Hot Peppers

Stuffed Poblano Peppers
Source: Elly Says Opa

I made just a couple of changes to this recipe. Here’s the recipe as I made it.

4 small/medium sized poblano peppers
Extra virgin olive oil
1/2 diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 links chicken sausage (I used chipotle pepper chicken sausage)
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 cup corn
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
Salt and pepper
1 oz. manchego cheese, shredded

1. Preheat the oven to 400.

2. Heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat, and saute the onion until tender. Add the garlic, and cook for an additional minute. Crumble in the chicken sausage, and cook until the sausage starts to brown. Add the salsa, corn, and cumin. Season with salt and pepper, and simmer over low for a few minutes.

3. Lay the poblanos flat, and cut a T-shaped slit into the top of the poblano. Pry the slit apart, and remove all of the seeds.

4. Stuff the sausage mixture into the peppers. Top each pepper with  some of the manchego cheese.

5. Bake until the poblano is tender and browned around the edges (25 minutes in my oven).

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