Comforting mac ‘n cheese and spicy ground turkey sausage get STUFFED into tender poblano chili peppers!!
Hi Folks! Shall I remind you of my HUGE enjoyment of all things Tex-Mex?? Cheesy, check…spicy, check…yummy, check!!! My motto has always been “When in doubt, Tex-Mex it out!!” Now I must add, “When in doubt, Mac and Cheese it out!” These Meaty Mac and Cheese Stuffed Poblanos are the perfect fusion of two of my most favorite foods. Pure comfort food nestled right inside a tender poblano pepper!!! Oh boy!! My head could explode with such delight!! I hope you guys are big fans of SPICE! My family is and they all enjoyed this winner of a dish!
I had my first encounter with the poblano pepper in Cabo san Lucas where the hubby and I visited for our first anniversary. What a beauty of a destination!!! If you haven’t been, you must!! We enjoyed an authentic Mexican cooking class and made Chiles Rellenos…yum! I knew then that I would eventually stuff them myself with some yummy goodness someday!! So here we are…Meaty Mac and Cheese Stuffed Poblanos. In class, we learned that the key to preparing these poblano peppers is making sure that you roast and skin them. This extra step lends to a less bitter and more tender pepper so don’t skip it!!!
I know you guys are gonna just fall in LOVE this dish! Speaking of love…in case you didn’t know. I thought I’d leave you with a scripture that encompasses a love like no other. This passage has certainly been life-changing for me…eternally! “For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He[even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16 (AMP). It’s almost unbelievable when you think about the amount of love that He has for us, yet He wants us to understand its height, depth, width and breadth of His love. Yes! He sent His only Son, Jesus to the cross because He loved us all just that much! Have you met Him? Say Grace and enjoy!!
Meaty Mac and Cheese Stuffed Poblanos
Ingredients
- 12 poblanos
- 1/2 lb macaroni boiled and drained
- 1.5 c. habenero pepper jack cheese shredded and divided
- 1.5 c. extra sharp cheddar shredded and divided
- 1.5 c. colby jack shredded and divided
- 1 lb. hot Italian turkey sausage
- 1/2 c. diced red pepper
- 1 c. diced onion
- 3.5 c. milk
- 3 T. butter
- 1/4 c. flour
- ¼ tsp. nutmeg
- ¼ tsp. black pepper
- ¼ tsp. cayenne
- 2 T. diced jalapenos
- 1 c. seasoned croutons crushed
- Tomatoes garnish
- Cilantro garnish
Instructions
- Broil the peppers for about 10 minutes, rotating at about 5 minutes. The skin should blister on all sides.
- Place the blistered peppers in a plastic bag and steam.
- Once completely cooled, peel the blistered skin off of the peppers.
- Cut a slit down the middle and open the pepper to reveal the pocket. Remove the seeds and veins.
- In a medium skillet, crumble and brown turkey sausage for about 5 minutes on medium-high heat. After almost browned, add the onion and red pepper and continue to saute until onion is translucent for about another 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add flour when the butter starts to get bubbly and cook for about a minute.
- Pour milk into the skillet and whisk until smooth and thick. You'll feel it.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and add nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 1 c. habenero, 1 c. extra sharp and 1 c. colby jack cheeses.
- Stir macaroni, turkey sausage mixture and jalapenos into the cheese sauce.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment papper.
- Take about a 1/2 cup of mac and cheese and stuff into the cavity of each pepper and place on baking sheet.
- Sprinkle 2 T. of remaining cheeses on each pepper and a 1 T. of croutons on each pepper.
- Place in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes or until cheese melts.
- Garnish with tomatoes and cilantro. Say Grace and enjoy!!
Recipe adapted from Daphne Oz
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