Southwest Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Melty Cheddar Cheese

Even though Fall is just starting, it still feels like Summer here in Arizona and I'm not letting the warm weather produce selections slip away just yet. The tomatoes, zucchini, and corn are still ripe and tasty! Now, I have to tell you, this Southwest stuffed poblano peppers recipe has been a long time coming. I've been making/perfecting/recreating/fool-proofing this stuffed poblano recipe since May! These Southwest peppers have become a dinner staple in our home, changing the ingredients slightly with each new batch. I make this recipe so often that Mark now asks "Are we have the poblanos tonight?" instead of the ambiguous question 'what's for dinner?'. Not to say he's complaining - since I added the melty sharp cheddar cheese to the recipe, he's been all-in on these stuffed poblano peppers!

What I really love about this Southwest stuffed poblano peppers recipe is that it's healthy, absolutely veggie-full, and is a super satisfying entree that is .... wait for it... under 500 calories!! Two beefy, cheesy, roasted stuffed poblanos that are under 500 calories!? They are also full of whole grains and packed with 3 ¾th servings of vegetables. To top it all off, they are so freaking delicious too! Impossible you say? Well you obviously haven't tried this recipe yet.

Speaking of making this recipe .. let's get cooking!

Southwest Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Melty Cheddar Cheese

Serves: 5,  Yield: 10 total stuffed poblano peppers,  Total cook time: 55 minutes

Ingredients: 10 poblano peppers, 2 tablespoons olive oil, ½ medium onion (diced), 3 garlic cloves (chopped), 1 medium green and 1 medium yellow zucchini (chopped), 1 ear of fresh corn (shucked), 2 medium Roma tomatoes (chopped), 1 pound lean ground beef, 1 cup cooked brown rice, 1 cup shredded extra sharp cheddar, ½ small bunch of cilantro (chopped). For the seasoning: 1 teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon chili powder, ¼ teaspoon paprika, ¼ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes, ⅛ teaspoon oregano - Can substitute the seasoning spices with a packet of low-sodium taco seasoning.

First, set the oven to 350 degrees F. Place a wide edged sauté pan on the stove on medium-high heat with olive oil. Once the pan is warm, add the chopped onion, cooking for about 5 minutes until tender and translucent. While the onion cooks you will want to wash and prep your poblano peppers by cutting into the pepper and removing the seeds. If you choose to cut the peppers from the side (like in my pictures), you can dice the extra poblano slices and throw them into the pan while the onions soften.

Once the onions are soft and translucent, add the chopped garlic and zucchini and continue to cook for about 5 more minutes giving the vegetables an occasional stir. Once the zucchini is soft, stir in the corn and tomatoes, and continuing cooking for a few more minutes. Once all the vegetables are soft, add the beef and seasonings, continue to cook for about 10-15 minutes until the beef is no longer pink. Add the cooked brown rice to the pan, mix well.

Take the pan off the heat and fill each poblano pepper with about ⅔ cup of beef and vegetable mixture, placing each stuffed pepper onto a foil lined baking sheet. Assemble all 10 peppers onto the sheet pan and bake for 30 minutes, making sure the outside of the peppers are soft and almost roasted in appearance. Before removing the peppers from the oven, carefully top each pepper with cheese, then close the oven door letting the oven heat melt for cheese for one additional minute. Before serving the peppers, top with cilantro.

These Southwest stuffed poblano peppers are the best, especially for a weeknight dinner! They are healthy, craveable, and oh so delicious. You can prepare this recipe ahead of time by stuffing the peppers (Step 5 on the instructions below) then cover and pop the peppers into the refrigerator for up to 48 hours before baking. You can even place the stuffed peppers onto the sheet pan so popping them into the oven is super duper easy - just add an additional 10 minutes to your oven cook time so they can warm up.

Did I mention these stuffed poblanos also make the best leftovers? I'm drooling just thinking about my poblano pepper leftover lunch right now. Give me Southwest stuffed poblano peppers. Leave your comments below!

Southwest Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Melty Cheddar Cheese

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★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

Healthy Southwest stuffed poblano peppers are beefy, cheesy, melty, and so full of flavor. Each serving provides 3 ¾ servings of vegetables, is full of whole grains, and is under 500 calories!

• Author: Michele Sidorenkov, RDN
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 55 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Yield: 10 total stuffed poblano peppers 1x
• Category: Entrée
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: Southwest

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 10 poblano peppers
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ medium onion, diced (equals 1 cup diced onion)
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped (equals 1 tablespoon chopped garlic)
• 2 medium green and yellow zucchini, chopped (equals 2 ½ cups chopped zucchini)
• 1 ear of fresh corn, corn kernels shucked (equals 1 cup of kernels)
• 2 medium roma tomatoes, chopped (equals 1 cup chopped tomatoes)
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 cup cooked brown rice
• 1 cup shredded extra sharp cheddar
• ½ small bunch of cilantro, chopped (equals ¾ cup chopped cilantro)

For the seasoning:

Can substitute below spices with a packet of low-sodium taco seasoning

• 1 teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon chili powder
• ¼ teaspoon paprika
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ⅛ teaspoon oregano

Instructions

1. First, set the oven to 350 degrees F. Place a wide edged sauté pan on the stove on medium-high heat with olive oil. Once the pan is warm, add the chopped onion, cooking for about 5 minutes until tender and translucent.
2. While the onion cooks you will want to wash and prep your poblano peppers by cutting into the pepper and removing the seeds. If you choose to cut the peppers from the side (like in my pictures), you can dice the extra poblano slices and throw them into the pan while the onions soften.
3. Once the onions are soft and translucent, add the chopped garlic and zucchini and continue to cook for about 5 more minutes giving the vegetables an occasional stir. Once the zucchini is soft, stir in the corn and tomatoes, and continuing cooking for a few more minutes.
4. Once all the vegetables are soft, add the beef and seasonings, continue to cook for about 10-15 minutes until the beef is no longer pink. Add the cooked brown rice to the pan, mix well.
5. Take the pan off the heat and fill each poblano pepper with about ⅔ cup of beef and vegetable mixture, placing each stuffed pepper onto a foil lined baking sheet.
6. Assemble all 10 peppers onto the sheet pan and bake for 30 minutes, making sure the outside of the peppers are soft and almost roasted in appearance. Before removing the peppers from the oven, carefully top each pepper with cheese, then close the oven door letting the oven heat melt for cheese for one additional minute. Before serving the peppers, top with cilantro.

Notes

Each serving of this recipe (2 stuffed poblano peppers) is equal to 3 ¾ servings of vegetables, a ½ serving of dairy, and ½ ounce of whole grains.

This stuffed poblano pepper recipe makes ⅔ cup of stuffing per poblano pepper. If your peppers are smaller or larger, adjust your servings or portions as needed.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 2 Stuffed Poblano Peppers
• Calories: 498
• Sugar: 0g
• Sodium: 463mg
• Fat: 27g
• Saturated Fat: 10g
• Unsaturated Fat: 15g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 38g
• Fiber: 8g
• Protein: 30g
• Cholesterol: 80mg

Keywords: Southwest Poblanos, Stuffed Poblano Peppers