Stuffed Poblano Peppers
Stuffed Poblano Peppers on the grill are super easy! Oh, and did I mention really, really tasty! I was at our local grocery store the other day and noticed a bin of fresh poblano peppers.
We usually do not get fresh poblano peppers up here in Canada, so I thought I should pick up a couple and create something for the family that we don’t normally have.
As I was standing in the veggie aisle I tried to think like a Southern cook. What would Bobby Flay put in this poblano pepper? It only took me a few minutes and I had already started to formulate a plan.
Now I’m not saying that these are as good as Bobby Flay might make. Well, okay yes, I am saying that, because I have never had Poblano peppers by Mr. Flay and these were fantastic!
Is the Poblano Pepper Hot?
Poblano peppers range from mild to medium-hot, registering between 1,000 and 2,000 Scoville heat units on the Scoville Scale. They are said to have originated from the state of Puebla in central Mexico.
The recipe is simple, and these can be prepared in advance and refrigerated until you are ready to put it on the grill. We love Southern or south of the border Mexican food here at the Nolands.
You could substitute a red pepper or other bell peppers instead of the poblano. Although, if you can get poblano peppers I would recommend using them.
They add such a depth of flavor the other types of peppers just do not have.
How big are poblano peppers?
The Poblano peppers are great to stuff as they are fairly large so they hold a good amount of stuffing. Additionally, they have a thick dark green skin and a wide base so they don’t break down when cooked or grilled.
First, you need to slice the peppers in half, making sure that both sides will lay flat. Remove the seeds and ribs from each half of the peppers. Then set them aside until the stuffing is ready.
I started with mild Italian sausage, out of the casing of course. You could use the spicy Italian sausage or even chorizo, but I didn’t want to over-power the bold flavors of the poblano pepper.
You could use just about any type of ground meat in the stuffing, from beef to pork, to chicken, or even bacon! The sky’s the limit.
Once the sausage is cooked, add the shallots, garlic and mushrooms. Continue to sauté, stirring regularly until the mushrooms are softened and the shallots are almost translucent.
Then add the tomatoes, chilies and roasted red peppers. Continue to cook the stuffing mixture until everything is heated through.
Get Stuffed!
Now you are ready to stuff your peppers! Place the peppers on a baking sheet and divide the stuffing equally between the pepper halves.
Pile it up high as it will settle a bit when you put the peppers on the grill. Top with the grated cheese and they are ready to go on to the grill.
At this point, you can cover them with plastic wrap and refrigerate them for a few hours if you made them ahead of time.
Make sure you have the grilled preheated to medium-hot. Place your pepper halves on the grill, close the lid and cook for 7-10 minutes or until the peppers are soft, slightly charred and the cheese is melted.
Garnish with fresh parsley; you should serve them immediately.
Enjoy!!!
Stuffed Poblano Peppers
Ingredients
- 3 fresh poblano peppers cut in half
- 13 oz mild Italian sausage meat out of the casing
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 large shallot finely chopped
- 6 large cremini mushrooms chopped about 2 cups
- 4 oz can of diced green chilies
- 12 oz jar of roasted red peppers diced
- 19 oz can of diced tomatoes
- 1 Tbsp each dried oregano and basil optional
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
- Kosher salt and pepper to taste
- Chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Cut the poblano peppers in half lengthwise so that they will lay flat. Carefully
remove all the seeds and ribs. You don’t want to cut through the pepper or the
stuffing and juices may leak out. Once you have the peppers prepared you can
set them aside on a baking sheet. - In a large pan, cook the sausage until it is no longer pink then add the
minced garlic, chopped mushrooms and the finely chopped shallots. Continue cooking
for about another 5 minutes until the shallots and mushrooms are softened, stir occasionally. - Add the canned chilies, roasted red peppers, diced tomatoes, and the oregano
and thyme if desired. Add the Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. - Continue to cook for 5-7 minutes so that the flavors meld and most of
the liquid has evaporated. - Divide the stuffing between the 6 pepper halves, making sure that you
pile the stuffing upon each pepper as it will settle when you put the peppers
on to the grill. - Top with grated cheese, dividing it equally between the 6 peppers.
- Note: At this point, you can cover the peppers with plastic wrap and
refrigerate for up to 4 hours before grilling. - When you are ready, preheat your grill to medium and grill for 7-10 minutes
until the peppers are soft and the cheese is melted. You should have nice grill
marks on the bottom of the peppers. - Garnish with chopped parsley and serve immediately.
[…] little pepper plant did really well. But I have to admit I had to go to the farmers’ market late in the summer […]