Poblano peppers are often called“Pasilla Peppers”. They are mild. The sauce was the star, made with fresh tomatoes. The hint of cinnamon worked beautifully with this dish. I spent a little extra time by making my own shredded chicken, and cooking brown rice with the leftover chicken broth—and I think it stepped up the deliciousness even more. Black beans could easily be substituted for the chicken to make this a vegetarian meal. Go forth and make it—your family will thank you.
You say Poblano, I say Pasilla (Pah-SEE-YA). They are one in the same, I recently discovered–at least, in California grocery stores. (I found a blogger who clears up the confusion here.) I love Mexican food, but I can’t handle really a lot of spicy heat. Poblano peppers are perfect, because they are rather mild once they are cooked.
My inspiration to make this recipe comes from “Fine Cooking.” The original recipe boasts that it’s a quick (and great) way to use leftover chicken. I didn’t have any, and so I decided to make my own shredded chicken. I chose chicken thighs, because they are a good price. For flavor I added bay leaves, whole peppercorns and my homemade Mexican spice (you could use taco seasoning). If you have a Trader Joe’s near you, I like these reduced-sodium chicken flavor concentrates (no MSG). You could use plain water, though.
I let the chicken simmer for about an hour, let it cook enough to pull apart and shred. I saved the cooking broth. Done.
Slit the chiles from stem to tip and set on the baking sheet. Broil,
turning every few minutes, until blackened all over, 5 to 8 minutes. Let
cool slightly, peel off the skins, and cut out the seed cores, leaving
the stems on. Rather than turning the chiles inside out, a spoon cleaned out any remaining seeds.
The fresh tomato sauce was the best part of this recipe, IMO. It was so good, that I wish I had doubled it– so, take my advice!
Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the chicken and rice, and then 1
cup of the cheese, the cilantro, and the lime juice.
with salt. Delicious!
up and around the filling, some of which will still be exposed.
Poblanos Stuffed with Cheddar and Chicken
Ingredients
FOR THE SAUCE (So delicious, I recommend doubling it):
- 4 large poblano chiles
- 2 medium tomatoes chopped
- 1/2 medium white onion chopped
- 1 large clove garlic chopped
- 1 tsp. dried oregano crumbled
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- Generous pinch ground cinnamon
- Kosher salt
For the Chicken & Rice:
- 1 Tbs. olive oil
- 2 cups shredded cooked chicken preferably dark meat*
- 1-1/2 cups cooked brown** or white rice
- 2 cups grated sharp or extra-sharp white Cheddar about 7 oz.
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro including some tender stems
- 1 Tbsp lime juice
- 4-5 chicken thighs boneless or bone-in, doesn’t matter
- 2 tsp whole peppercorns
- 2 Bay leaves
- 2 whole cloves garlic unpeeled
- 2 tsp Mexican Seasoning Blend*** or taco seasoning
- Water enough to cover the chicken. NOTE: I add one packet of Trader Joe’s reduced sodium chicken broth concentrate
My Mexican Seasoning Blend (or use store bought):
- 2 Tbsp. chili powder
- 2 Tbsp. garlic powder
- 2 Tbsp. ground cumin
- 2 Tbsp. oregano
- Mix together and store in an airtight container.
Instructions
SHREDDED CHICKEN:
- To make this recipe you can use rotisserie chicken, or leftover chicken. However, I prefer to make my own chicken so that I can control what seasonings I use—and the leftover. Dark chicken worked great in this recipe, because the chicken turned out very moist, and flavorful. Here’s what I did—
- Place the chicken in a pot; add the seasonings, Bay leaves and whole garlic cloves. I like to add some chicken broth concentrate for extra flavor, but this is optional. Bring to a boil and simmer, on low, for about an hour.
- Remove the chicken, and allow to cool enough to shred. I prefer to use my hands, but two forks works well, too. Strain the broth and reserve.
FOR THE RICE:
- I used brown rice and cooked it, per package directions, with the reserved broth from cooking the chicken. Delicious! Otherwise, use commercial chicken broth for more flavor. Set aside.
PREP THE CHILES:
- Position an oven rack about 4 inches from the broiler and heat the broiler on high. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil.
- Slit the chilis from stem to tip and set on the baking sheet. Broil, turning every few minutes, until blackened all over, 5 to 8 minutes. Let cool slightly, peel off the skins, and cut out the seed cores, leaving the stems on. OPTIONAL: Turn the chiles inside out, flick out any remaining seeds, and turn right side out. NOTE: I didn’t do this step, as as spoon removed the seeds just fine. Return the poblanos to the baking sheet.
MAKE THE SAUCE (feel free to double, as the sauce is incredibly good):
- Purée the tomatoes, onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, and 1/2 tsp. salt in a food processor.
- Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat.
- Add the purée and cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid has evaporated and the mixture looks thick and pulpy, 8 to 11 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Stir in the chicken and rice, and then 1 cup of the cheese, the cilantro, and the lime juice. Season to taste with salt. Divide the filling among the peppers, wrapping the sides of the peppers up and around the filling, some of which will still be exposed.
- Broil the peppers until the cheese is melting and the top is beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. Top with the remaining 1 cup cheese and broil until the cheese is completely melted, about 2 minutes.
I wish I could reach in the screen and grab all of that cheesy goodness. And it's breakfast time, what am I thinking!
Have a great weekend.
Sam
Looks delicious Debby. And, I agree – poblano is the perfect middle of-the-road pepper and my choice too.
I have been looking at the stuffed poblano recipes that keep popping up. I must join in. (Thanks for clearing up the pasilla/poblano mystery!)
I love stuffed chilis and it's been way too long since I've done it. These look wonderful!
Oh I LOVE this recipe! I'd love for you to share this on my linky party Southern Sundays going on right now. Hope to see you there! http://www.asliceofsouthern.blogspot.com
Debbie, this looks so yummy. I will try this recipe for sure.
This looks incredibly delicious and my poblanos will soon be big enough to use.
I had no idea poblanos and pasillas were the same things either! Crazy. This filling sounds so tasty!
Guess who has leftover chicken sitting around? Now I need to head out to the store for poblanos. Looks divine!
It's funny. I always see the fresh peppers sold as poblanos, but the dried ones sold as pasillas.
This looks so delicious. I will definitely have to try this. The chicken filling would make a great taco too!
I love poblano peppers. One of my favorite foods to order in a Mexcian food retaurant is Chile Rellenos. This sounds like a relleno, only better. I will have this on my list of things to try!
You make these look so tempting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hi Debby,
Love this recipe. I’ve used it often. One thing I like, spanish rice instead of white/brown rice. Everyone loves this.
Thanks so much!!!
Enjoy your posts.
Thank you so much, Sharon. I think using rice is a great idea, to.