Tomato and Chicken Stuffed Poblano Peppers

21 Aug Tomato and Chicken Stuffed Poblano Peppers

It’s the season of pepper bounty…sweet frying peppers, green bell peppers, and hot peppers. The poblano peppers is a favorite in our household- just enough heat, but not too much, to keep all of us happy. Named after the Mexican state of Puebla the poblano a relatively large, mild variety of chile popular in Mexican cuisine. When roasted, its skin softens and blisters, and the flavor turns into a smoky sweet heat. One of the great things about the poblano is the pepper also retains its shape after roasting and skinning, making it a wonderful choice for stuffing and finishing in the oven. You could very easily use the filling below for the sweet orange and red frying peppers we have now. You would just skip the grilling step and do a more traditional oven roasted stuffed pepper. Check out some of our previous blog post recipes for other ideas: Farro Stuffed Peppers and Freekah Stuffed Sweet Peppers .

This recipe is from Fine Cooking

Ingredients

4 large poblano chiles
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1/2 medium white onion, chopped
1 large clove garlic, chopped
1 tsp. dried oregano, crumbled (We used a few Tbs. chopped fresh oregano and fresh marjoram from the Discovery Garden)
1 tsp. ground cumin
Generous pinch ground cinnamon
Kosher salt
1 Tbs. olive oil
2 cups shredded cooked chicken, preferably dark meat (We did one of Hershberger Heritage Farm’s delicious whole chickens on the grill, beer-can chicken style. It provided enough chicken for a few meals, including this one, as well as the bones for making some amazing broth as we head into soup season.)
1-1/2 cups cooked brown or white rice
2 cups grated sharp or extra-sharp white Cheddar (about 7 oz.)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (including some tender stems)
1 Tbs. lime juice

Instructions

Position an oven rack about 4 inches from the broiler and heat the broiler on high. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil.

Slit the poblano peppers from stem to tip and set on the baking sheet. Broil, turning every few minutes, until blackened all over, 5 to 8 minutes. Let cool slightly, peel off the skins, and cut out the seed cores, leaving the stems on. Turn the chiles inside out, flick out any remaining seeds, and turn right side out. Return the poblanos to the baking sheet.

Purée the tomatoes, onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, and 1/2 tsp. salt in a food processor. Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the purée and cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid has evaporated and the mixture looks thick and pulpy, 8 to 11 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the chicken and rice, and then 1 cup of the cheese, the cilantro, and the lime juice. Season to taste with salt. Divide the filling among the peppers, wrapping the sides of the peppers up and around the filling, some of which will still be exposed.

Broil the peppers until the cheese is melting and the top is beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. Top with the remaining 1 cup cheese and broil until the cheese is completely melted, about 2 minutes.

Post and photos by Tricia Borneman, Blooming Glen farmer and co-owner. Tricia and her husband Tom have been farming together since 2000. Blooming Glen Farm is celebrating its 12th season bringing high quality certified organic vegetables, herbs, fruits and cut flowers to our local community.