This dish took a long time to put together. Three days, in fact (really). A combination of factors (a.k.a. life) severely limited my kitchen-time and forced me to cook in spurts, with the meat filling finished one night, the sauce another, etc. As a side-effect of having an idea gestate for so long, the recipe morphed into something else. Originally, the plan was to make just a basic stuffed pepper. But while cooking the meat, I impulsively threw in the last of my homemade fajita spice, which steered the dish in a new direction. The next day while making the sauce, it dawned on me that I needed something different to suit, so I cribbed the enchilada sauce from cookieandkate.com (with a tiny modification). Finally, while putting everything together, I decided to run with the Southwest theme and topped the peppers with cheese as well as a crema-like sauce. Also, because I like to maximize the meat quotient of the stuffing, I left the rice out and instead made a quick pilaf for the peppers to sit on (for which I'll post a separate recipe, since this one's already huge). And so finally, after 3 days, the dish was done. Was it worth the wait? Oh, definitely yes.

Take 3 of my recipes, Poblano Peppers, Grilled Chicken and Queso to make this meal!

Awesome with rice

Creamy and spicy, yet with a sweetness and great balance of southwestern flavor! This dish was served to my husband when in Mexico at a home of a business friend. He liked it so much and found it so different that he had them write out the recipe for me to make at home. It’s a favorite for us, simple but delicious!

A delicious, vegetarian version of stuffed peppers with a southwestern inspiration. Light yet filling.