Stuffed Poblano Peppers

My husband and I often order fajitas at our favorite local Tex-Mex spot. Sizzling, limey flank steak hits the table with cheese, pico and guac. But one of our favorite toppings is the roasted poblano pepper! The peppers are charred, smokey and much more flavorful than a typical green bell pepper.

Lately, I've been tinkering with new recipes to highlight this tasty ingredient! Enter: Stuffed Poblano Peppers.

You probably grew up eating the traditional stuffed bell pepper filled with ground meat, rice and Italian seasonings simmered in tomato sauce. And while there is nothing wrong with the classic, I find the Tex-Mex spin adds a bit more complexity in flavor.

For the filling, I combined the typical ground meat and rice with plenty of spices, diced tomatoes and chiles for flavor and refried beans and cheese for extra creaminess. The avocado crema is a fresh little punch of flavor after baking.

Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Ingredients

For the peppers

· 2 tbsp olive oil

· 1 lb ground beef or chicken

· ½ onion, diced

· 2 garlic cloves, minced

· 1 tsp salt

· ½ tsp black pepper

· 3 tsp chili powder

· 2 tsp cumin

· 1 tsp smoked paprika

· ½ tsp garlic powder

· ½ tsp coriander

· 1 tbsp tomato paste

· 10oz canned diced tomatoes and chiles

· 16oz refried beans

· ¼ cup sour cream

· 4 oz pepper jack, shredded

· 2 cups cooked rice

· 8 large poblano peppers

For the tomato sauce

· 16oz tomato sauce (not marinara)

· 2 tbsp brown sugar

· 2 tbsp diced chipotles in adobo

· 1 tsp cumin

· ½ tsp salt

For the avocado crema

· 1 avocado, diced

· Zest and juice of 2 limes

· 1 tbsp cilantro, chopped

· 1 tbsp sour cream

· 3 tbsp water

Preheat oven to 400F.

For the peppers…in a large skillet, heat oil over medium high. Brown and crumble meat. Reduce heat to low and add onions and garlic. Cook until onions are translucent. Add all seasonings. Toast spices for 1-2 minutes. Add tomato paste and diced tomatoes and chiles. Remove from heat.

Combine meat mixture with beans, sour cream, cheese and rice. Set aside.

Slice away the top of each pepper. Using your fingers or small paring knife, remove seeds and remaining ribs. Spoon meat mixture into each pepper.

For the tomato sauce… whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl. Ladle half of the sauce into a greased 13x9 baking dish.

Arrange the stuffed peppers in a single layer in the baking dish. Drizzle the remaining tomato sauce over the peppers.

Bake for 40-50 minutes until the peppers begin to char and soften.

For the avocado crema… while the peppers bake, combine all crema ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Blend until smooth.

Drizzle the crema over the stuffed peppers before serving. Garnish with extra lime wedges and cilantro if desired.

Serves 4

Notes

Poblanos aren’t particularly spicy, but if you prefer no spice at all, substitute with green bell peppers.

Gluten Free Friendly!