Cheese and Shrimp Stuffed Roasted Poblanos with Red Bell Pepper Sauce

This recipe we found a couple of years ago on Epicurious. We’ve made it a few times and it always turns out great. There are a few modifications from the original recipe, but the flavors are what make it so delicious. Unlike a traditional stuffed peppers of Mexico, these are stuffed with a combination of Monterey Jack and Goat cheese, along with the cooked shrimp. The charred red bell pepper sauce finishes it off really well, making a terrific dish.

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This recipe is involved but not super hard. It just takes a bit to make with several steps, but it’s so good!

Start with charring the poblanos and two of the red peppers which will be used for the sauce. My ingenious husband thought to place a cooling rack over the stove to make the process much easier!

They won’t be pretty but they will taste great and be easy to peel. Place the charred peppers in a paper bag for at least 10 minutes after charring.

Shred the Monterey Jack Cheese

This cheese will be a part of the filling for the peppers.

The original recipe calls for pre-cooked shrimp. If you decide to cook the shrimp, it’s an easy sauté in butter. Top with a bit of black pepper and salt.

Once the shrimp are cooked, cool slightly then cut into small pieces.

Time to Chop

Chop the cilantro, bell pepper and shallot. Mix all in a bowl along with the shrimp and two cheeses. The goat cheese is part of what makes this unusual dish so good!

Mix well together. Be sure the goat cheese is at room temperature for easier mixing.

Remember those ugly charred poblano peppers? Look at them now with all of their blacken skin trimmed off, leaving them soft and ready to stuff. Just make a small slit down the middle of each pepper.

It’s best to hold in your hand and stuff a bit of the shrimp mixture in each pepper.

Time to make the bell pepper sauce. Stat by rough chopping the charred, seeded and peeled bell peppers.

Just 5 ingredients (plus olive oil for sautéing) make up this delicious sauce.

Start by warming the oil, then adding the shallots. Once the shallots are translucent and the jalapeno soft, add the garlic and cook another minute or so. Remove from the heat and let the mixture cool slightly.

Time to Blend.

Place the shallot mixture in the blender. Add the charred bell peppers and the chicken broth. Salt and pepper to taste. Blend well until smooth.

I like to then return the sauce to a pan and keep it warm.

Place a bit of sauce on the bottom of a glass baking dish. Carefully lay the chilis inside. Place in the preheated oven and cook until warm through until the cheese is bubbly. About 20-25 minutes.

Serve in a shallow bowl over some of the warmed sauce. Cilantro lime rice is a great side for this dish or just gobble it up on it’s own. Try to just have one, they are so good!

Yield: 6-8

Author: Adapted from Epicurious

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Cheese and Shrimp Stuffed Roasted Poblanos with Red Bell Pepper Sauce

A delicious twist on a traditional stuffed pepper Mexican dish. Shrimp and goat cheese are stuffed into a charred poblano pepper and served with a yummy red bell pepper sauce.

Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 45 MinTotal time: 1 H & 5 M

Ingredients

For the Poblanos

• 6-8 large poblano chilies (try to purchase larger chilis as they are easier to work with)
• 8 ounces shrimp (can be pre-cooked or use fresh shrimp and saute in a bit of butter)
• 2/3 cup (4 oz) of fresh goat cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup Monterey Jack Cheese, grated
• 1/4 cup chopped bell pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped shallot
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Red Bell Pepper Sauce

• 2 large red bell peppers
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped shallots
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno chili, seeded and minced
• 1 cup chicken broth

Instructions

Prepare the Poblanos

1. Char the poblanos over an open flame on the stove or out on the grill, until blackened on all sides. (char the red bell peppers for the sauce at the same time) Place in a paper bag for 10 minutes until cool. Carefully peel the blackened skin off on all sides. Create a slit on one side of the peeled poblano using a sharp knife. Remove the seed pod. Leave the stem intact. Set aside.
2. Mix the shrimp, cheeses, bell pepper, shallot, cilantro and basil in a bowl.
3. Fill the chilis with the shrimp mixture. Pull the sides up on the chilis gently to enclose the filling.
4. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees while making the red bell pepper sauce.

Red Bell Pepper Sauce

1. Char the bell peppers over an open flame or on a grill. (char at the same time as the poblanos) Place in a paper bag for 10 minutes until cool. Carefully peel the blackened skin off on all sides. Rough chop.
2. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the shallots and jalapeno and sauté until translucent about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook a minute more. Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool slightly.
3. In a blender, add the shallot mixture, bell peppers and chicken broth. Blend until smooth. Taste, add a bit of salt and pepper to taste. Blend a bit more.
4. Place the finished sauce in a pan and rewarm for serving.

Finishing the Stuffed Poblano Peppers

1. Oven warmed to 350 degrees.
2. Place a bit of the red bell pepper sauce in the bottom of a glass pan. Carefully add the stuffed chilis. Bake for 20-30 minutes until warm and the cheese has started to bubble.
3. To finish place, some of the warmed sauce in a shallow bowl. Lay the warmed chili over the top. Enjoy!