Easy Stuffed Poblano Chilis with Chamoy

Stuffed peppers are a fabulous budget friendly, easy meal.  My mom would make stuffed peppers when we were kids and they were always so delicious and homey.  The kind of humble, comforting dish that makes you feel all cozy inside.  While Mom used green bell peppers, as I started making stuffed peppers as an adult I found I preferred red or yellow bell peppers.  They were sweeter, which I appreciated.


Out of pure curiosity, I tried stuffing a poblano pepper for one of our evening meals and fell in love with the very subtle heat that poblanos have.  While I can't handle a lot of heat, I do like an innuendo of heat, which the poblano provides.

I used ground turkey here, but I've also made them with a plant based sausage, which was quite tasty.  Ground beef is also another great alternative

IF YOU'VE NEVER TRIED A POBLANO THEY ARE VERY MILD ON THE HEAT LEVEL (NOWHERE NEAR A JALAPENO) AND HAVE AMAZING FLAVOR

I KEEP A JAR OF MY HOMEMADE CHAMOY IN THE FRIDGE. IT LASTS QUITE SOME TIME & SURE DOES LEND A FLAVORFUL HAND

The addition of chamoy to the top of these lovely pepper boats lends additional layers of flavor.  Slightly spicy and sweet flavor layers.  If I had to give you something that chamoy was similar to for comparison sake, I'd say a smoky, fruity barbecue sauce.  Or perhaps the best ketchup ever.


Chamoy is a Mexican condiment similar to a barbecue sauce made with fruit such as apricot or mango, chilis and lime.  My easy cheats version uses apricot jam and dried Guajillo peppers that you hydrate then blend those up with the jam and lime juice.  The recipe is HERE​.  You can also buy this online or often you'll find this condiment in the Mexican foods section of your local grocery store.

MY PEPPERS ARE READY TO STUFF

The scent wafting through your kitchen as these bake is intoxicating.  The spices and peppers smell so great as they meld together with the ground turkey and cheese.  When you cut into them out of the oven, the juices trickle out and the top cheesy layer will give a slight cheese pull...or a big cheese pull if you've added additional cheese.  My mouth is watering even thinking about the last bite of these I had.

THESE PEPPERS ARE READY FOR THE OVEN

All this deliciousness, quick to prepare and they're super inexpensive to make.  I say stuffed peppers should make an appearance on the dinner table at least once a month.

Baked Stuffed Poblanos Peppers with Chamoy
Serves 4 +


3-4 poblano peppers (medium to larger sized) 
1 pound ground turkey (you can use ground beef as well)
1/2 onion, grated on a box grater or very finely minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
4 ounces shredded cheddar (more if you like it cheesy). I used goats milk cheddar
1/2 cup *chamoy (purchased or from the shortcut recipe HERE)




Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.


Poke the poblanos with a sharp knife and cook in a microwave safe bowl for about 2 minutes.  This is an extra step that is not necessary, but I like that you get a slightly softer texture in your peppers.  They will be crunchier if you omit this step.


Let the peppers cool enough to easily handle them then cut in half lengthwise, removing the seeds and membrane.  I leave the stems on the peppers as it makes for a pretty presentation.
Place them cut side up in a casserole dish or on a baking sheet.


Combine the onion, garlic, chili powder, cumin and salt with 3/4 of the cheese.  Gently mix in the ground turkey or beef.  Over mixing can toughen the mixture, so mix just until it's combined.


Stuff the meat mixture evenly into each of the peppers then spoon the chomoy over the peppers.  Sprinkle with the remaining cheese (more cheese if you prefer) then bake for about 30 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and the meat within the peppers is cooked at the way through.


*Chamoy - is a Mexican condiment similar to a barbecue sauce made with fruit such as apricot or mango, chilis and lime.  My easy cheats version uses apricot jam and dried Guajillo peppers that you hydrate then blend those up with the jam and lime juice.  The recipe is HERE.  You can also buy this online or often you can find this condiment in the Mexican foods section of your local grocery store