Harvest
If, like me, you have an abundance of Poblano peppers right now, this is a great way to use them up!
Small Poblanos
Large Poblano
We love this recipe around my house. My peppers are small – only 3 inches long – so instead of 4 large poblanos I’ll be using 8 or 10 of my small ones – enough to fill my largest casserole dish.
Some good gravy here!
And in case you are not familiar with poblano chiles, they are not spicy – if you have an aversion to hot stuff, just leave out the jalapeno! I also decided to add some filling into boneless, skinless chicken thighs – good stuff! Made for some great gravy!
Just need to remove the crowns of seeds
Stuffed Poblanos Casserole
The cornmeal takes on the texture of tamale during baking.
Serves 6
1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes (in puree if you can find it!)
1 jalapeno chile (ribs and seeds removed, for less heat), minced
2 small onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves (2 whole, 1 minced)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1 bunch chopped cilantro (divided into ½ bunches)
1+ cup shredded pepper Jack cheese
1 teaspoon ground cumin (optional – I HATE CUMIN & LEFT THIS OUT)
1 handful frozen corn kernels
4 large poblano chiles, halved lengthwise (stems left intact), ribs/seeds removed
Preheat oven to 425. Spray a 9-by-13 pan with cooking spray. In a blender, combine tomatoes in puree, jalapeno, half the onions, ½ bunch cilantro and 2 whole garlic cloves; puree. Season with salt. Pour sauce into prepared dish and set aside.
Gravy Beginnings
After blending
In a medium bowl, combine beans, cornmeal, ½ bunch cilantro, ½ cup cheese, remaining onions, minced garlic, optional cumin (yuck), corn kernels, and 3/4 cup water; season with salt and pepper.
Enough for 8 thighs and 8 poblano halves
Dividing evenly, stuff poblano halves with bean mixture; place on top of sauce in baking dish. Sprinkle poblanos with remaining 1/2 cup cheese; cover baking dish tightly with aluminum foil (don’t let the foil rest on the cheese or it will stick to it).
Ready for the oven!
Bake until poblanos are tender, about 45 minutes. Uncover, and continue to cook until sauce is thickened slightly and cheese is browned, 10 to 15 minutes more. Let cool 10 minutes.
Serve with rice and plainly dressed fresh salad.
Garnish is Mexican Oregano blossoms from my garden
Ever heard of Hatch Peppers? My friend Nancy in Tempe brought me a few bags of frozen roasted Hatch Farm peppers – that’s how I came to love Poblanos and had to try my hand at growing them this year.
