photo credit of pasilla peppers: What Did You Eat?
I still can't find the cord thingy that allows me to download pictures from my camera and I really, really want to get this recipe posted so you can try it for your summer BBQs so I'm winging it without my own photos because, well, I just can't wait any longer.
I loved stuffed pepper (and cabbage) of all kinds, but I particulary love sweet pasillas filled with melty cheese. I made these for our Father's Day barbecue. It's a variation of a dish my mom used to make when we were growing up and can be many things once you get the basic recipe down. You can usethe stuffed peppers to make a fancier chile rellenos or top them with a cooked Mexican red tomato salsa (I love the El Pato brand in the small yellow cans) and crumbled cotija cheese—anything goes.
STUFFED PASILLA PEPPERS
This recipe is perfect for a large group. Serve one stuffed pepper per person.
Serves 12
- 12 fresh pasilla peppers
- 1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
- 1/2 tsp fresh oregano leaves, chopped (leaves stripped from one stalk, chopped)
- 1 4-cup package of shredded Mexican cheese blend (not the Light or Lowfat kind, the cheeses aren't the same)
- salt to taste
- cilantro leaves for garnish
Combine onion, oregano, cheese, and salt in a mixing bowl and set aside.
Prepare pasilla peppers for grilling:
Fire up your grill to a medium-hi. Grill peppers until they are charred and blistered and blackened on all sides, about 5 minutes per side with the grill lid shut but do peek every once in awhile to make sure they aren't burning. Once charred, remove them from the grill and place into a large paper grocery bag. Roll the bag shut and let the peppers steam in the bag for about 10-15 minutes.
Once the peppers are cool enough to handle, remove the skin. I use a paper towel to literally "wipe" the skin right off. Once the peppers are "de-skinned", make one slit down the side lengthwise, and carefully scrape out the seeds leaving the peppers in tact as much as possible. Don't worry, you can man-handle them a little bit. They can take it.
Using your fingers—this is going to get even messier—stuff each pepper full with the cheese mixture, close them up, and put them slit-side down in a lightly oiled baking dish. Continue until all peppers are stuffed and snuggled together in the baking dish.
Bake in a 350º oven for 15-20 minutes until cheese is melted. Garnish dish with cilantro leaves before serving.
And until I can post my pics, please enjoy these mouth-watering photos!
