Bite Of MN: Vegetable Stuffed Poblano Peppers
When I was growing up, my mom often made stuffed peppers for dinner. Green bell peppers were filled with rice, ground beef, onions and cheese before being baked with tomato sauce. Over the years, I kept playing around with the recipe substituting ground turkey for the beef, brown rice for white rice, and adding ingredients like corn and spinach to make it even more nutritious.
Somewhere along the way I decided that I needed a new stuffed pepper recipe, something totally different from the original so that I could have another recipe to play around with. Along came stuffed poblano peppers.
Poblanos are mild in spice, but still carry some heat, so I wear gloves when I'm removing the membrane and seeds. After parboiling (put in boiling water for a couple minutes), the peppers are stuffed with carrots, zucchini, onions, pinto beans and cheese and then covered in enchilada sauce. Although the season is winding down, I spotted most of these ingredients at the market on Saturday.
This recipe is easy to prep ahead of time, making it great for a weeknight meal and can be served alongside steamed rice or tortillas. When I last made this, I only had mozzarella cheese, hence the white cheese in the picture. Sharp cheddar tastes much better, so use cheddar if possible.
Vegetable Stuffed Poblano Peppers
Adapted from The Mix
(4 servings)
4 poblano peppers, small to medium size
1 tbsp oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 medium sized carrot, grated
2 small zucchini, cut into bite-sized cubes
1 15.5 oz. can pinto beans
1 10-oz. can enchilada sauce
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin
Salt to taste
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, divided
Wash and slit open one side of peppers, leaving the stalk intact if possible. Remove all the seeds and membranes, rinse and place in a large saucepan filled with boiling water. Make sure you put a lid on to avoid pepper fumes filling the kitchen. Cook peppers for about 5 minutes until they turn a deep green color. Drain and set aside.
Heat the oil in a medium-sized saucepan, add the onion and cook for about 2-3 minutes. Add the zucchini and carrots and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chili powder, oregano and cumin and make sure all the vegetables are coated.
Add the pinto beans, stir and remove from heat. Add ½ cup of shredded cheese and stir until melted. Pour about half the can of enchilada sauce into a casserole dish. Stuff each pepper with the vegetable mixture and place on top of the sauce. Any remaining filling can be placed in the casserole dish as well. Pour the rest of the sauce over the peppers and cover the casserole dish with foil. Bake at 375° for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the peppers and return to the oven until the cheese has melted.
Serve with salsa, sour cream, and on top of steamed rice and warmed tortillas.
Crystal Grobe writes the Bite of Minnesota blog as well as Cafe Cyan.
