True, we neither picked nor pickled them, but a peck of peppers presents a particularly puzzling planning predicament! This week, Ben said he wanted Mexican food, which he asks for nearly every week (after he pitches steak and gets rejected). Can’t blame him. Mexican food is awesome. I knew it was the time of year that you can get a peck of peppers for next to nothing, so I suggested Mexican Stuffed Peppers. We did not have a recipe, but we had something even better — confidence.
Our meal was more of a round up of stuff we had on hand that needed to be used than a composed plan, but we think it worked out pretty well.
We were going for a cross between jalapeño poppers, stuffed peppers, and chili rellenos, while still trying to stay quasi-healthy. Earlier in the week, we had made taco pizza and had some bean/salsa “sauce” left over, along with taco meat, so we threw that in. Corn? Why not. Chorizo? You bet. Pepper jack cheese? Yes, and lots of it.
The stuffed pepper aspect is self explanatory. The cream cheese, jalapeño, and copious amounts of pepper jack cheese are meant to bring jalapeño poppers to mind. Traditionally, chili rellenos get stuffed with cheese, dipped in egg batter, and fried. That’s what the whole egg white thing is about in our recipe. Obviously, frying is the tasty way to go, but we were looking to lighten up with egg whites on top, baked.
Stuffed Pepper Popper Rellenos
6 assorted bell peppers, halved lengthwise, with pith and seeds removed
Salt to taste
1/4 onion, roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 28-ounce can San Marzano tomatoes
Salt to taste
3/4 onion, chopped
1 pound Spanish chorizo, diced with casings removed
2 ounces cream cheese
1/4 can refried pinto beans
1/4 jar salsa
1/2 pound ground beef, prepared with 1/2 taco seasoning mix packet
Corn, cut off two cobs
1 pound pepper jack cheese, shredded
1 jalapeño pepper, stem, ribs and seeds removed, finely diced
1 egg
1/2 cup egg whites
- Preheat oven to 400º and make tomato sauce by mixing 1/4 onion, garlic, canned tomatoes, and salt in a blender.
- Bake halved, salted peppers, cut side up, for 15 minutes.
- While peppers bake (soften), sauté 3/4 onion and chorizo in a pan over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes. Add cream cheese, beans, salsa, beef, and corn. Stir until well combined.
- With electric hand mixer, beat egg whites with a pinch of salt at highest speed until stiff peaks form. If you are using egg whites from a carton, it ain’t gonna happen. Fold in beaten egg.
- Place some shredded cheese into each pepper half and then spoon chorizo mixture in to fill. Top with remaining cheese and jalapeño.
- Pour tomato sauce into pan between pepper halves, so peppers are sitting in a pool of tomato sauce.
- Pour or spoon egg white mixture on top of peppers.
- Bake at 400º for 30 minutes, or until cheese/egg on top is bubbly and browning.
- Serve with prepared pack of Goya Spanish Rice, spooning additional sauce over peppers and rice.
