***Disclaimer – between crappy lighting, cheap camera, and no photography skills, I could not get a usable picture of dinner.  But where I lack in artistic prowess I achieve in kitchen creativity; this recipe is a taste winner!  So please ignore the lack of photographs and go ahead and try it anyways.

On the agenda for dinner tonight were Stuffed Poblano Peppers.  I’ve had, and loved, chile relanos at restaurants before and I’ve always wanted to recreate them at home.  I didn’t really look at or follow any recipes for inspiration but I did have a couple of goals in mind –

• make the recipe healthier by baking the peppers instead of frying them
• achieve a filling that is creamy and cheesy without being over the top

Here are the steps I took for 4 servings (measurements all approximate, eyeball things for your tastes) –

1. Preheat your oven to 400*.  Prepare a baking sheet with foil and cooking spray.
2. Heat 1T evoo in a large saucepan over medium heat.
3. Add 1lb 99% lean ground turkey to the pan.  Cook through, stirring often and using a wooden spatula to break the meat into little pieces.
4. When the meat is almost cooked, stir in a drained 14.5oz can of crushed tomatoes (we used onion and garlic flavored).
5. When the turkey is cooked through and combined with the tomatoes reduce the heat to low.
6. Stir in 5 wedges of Laughing Cow Queso Fresco and Chipotle cheese.
7. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in 1/2cup shredded sharp cheddar.
8. Allow the filling to cool.  Meanwhile, chop the tops off of 8 small-medium poblano peppers; be sure to remove all of the seeds (that’s where the peppers’ heat lies).
9. Use a spoon to stuff filling into peppers.  If you have extra filling it would be delicious in Mexican-style Sloppy Joses.
10. Lay the peppers on the prepared baking sheet, at least 1inch apart.
11. Bake for 25-30minutes, until the peppers’ skin appears to wrinkle and blister.

Name that movie –

“She’s making her famous stuffed chile relanos!”

“Relanos means stuffed.”