Fire Roasted Poblanos with Smoked Sausage Stuffing, Two Ways

Fire Roasted Poblanos with Smoked Sausage Stuffing, Two Ways

by Allison Blank Donel

I love chili rellenos. There’s something so aesthetically pleasing about them. You get delicious stuff wrapped up in its own perfect little spicy package. Mmmmm. 

My favorite chili relleno comes from the restaurant El Vaquero.  It’s filled with Mexican mashed potatoes and topped with a creamy cheese sauce. I've tried again and again to recreate it at home, but it’s just never right. I've given up trying to duplicate it and just make the occasional “variation”.

That mashed potato stuffed poblano was my inspiration for the first chili relleno. The second one came about because I had one lonely chicken breast in the freezer and had just bought some ancho chili powder. Use what ya got!

Fire Roasted Poblanos:

First, you must fire-roast the poblanos. Seriously, you get to use real fire. What could possibly go wrong? Don’t worry. It’s the easiest thing in the world, as long as you have a gas stove. Turn on the flame and place the pepper over the fire. You’ll hear some popping as the skin crackles and chars. Keep turning the pepper until it’s been evenly charred and then immediately place it in a paper bag while it’s still hot. Close up the bag to capture the steam. After a few minutes, remove the pepper and simply rub off the paper skin. You can also do this under water if it helps. It’s so ridiculously easy, and quite frankly, fun. You’re left with a beautifully soft, fire roasted, skinless pepper. Now just slice it open lengthwise (leave the stem on) and clean out the seeds.

Adam Kuban wrote a much more poetic ode to this process on Donna Currie’s blog, Cookistry. Check it out here.

And if you have the time, please read this other post on Donna’s blog. But get your tissues out first. It’s a doozy.

Mashed Potato and Smoked Sausage Filling: 

(will fill two 8”ish poblanos)

3 medium sized potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

2 Tablespoons butter

drizzle of olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

½ onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

4 ounces  Teet’s Smoked Garlic Pork Sausage, diced 

4 ounces cheddar cheese, grated and divided

½ cup enchilada sauce (I used a can of store brand sauce. It’s all I know.)

2 fire roasted poblano peppers

1.    Place the potatoes in salted boiling water (or stock) and cook until tender, roughly 15 minutes depending on how small you've cut them.

2.  Meanwhile, heat the oil in a sauté pan. Add the onions and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook over medium heat until soft. Remove from the heat.

3.  When the potatoes are tender, drain them, and return to the pan. Add the butter and mash the potatoes. Stir in the sausage, onions, and half the cheese. The potatoes should be pretty thick. Taste and adjust seasoning.

4.  Stuff the mixture into the poblanos. Place the stuffed poblanos in a baking dish, cover with the sauce and bake for 25 minutes. Top with a sprinkle of cheese and bake for another 5 minutes.

Chicken and Smoked Sausage Filling:

(will fill two 8”ish poblanos)

drizzle of olive oil

½ small onion, diced

1 chicken breast, diced

2 jalapenos, diced

salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon ancho chili powder

4 ounces Teet’s Smoked Garlic Pork Sausage, diced

6 ounces cream cheese

2 fire roasted poblano peppers

½ cup enchilada sauce (I used a can or store brand sauce. It’s all I know.)

2 ounces cheddar cheese

1.   Heat the oil in a sauté pan. Add the onion, chicken, jalapenos, and chili powder. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until the chicken is no longer pink. Remove from the heat.

2.  Add the sausage and cream cheese. Stir to combine.

3.  Stuff the mixture into the poblanos. Place the poblanos in a baking dish, cover with the sauce and bake for 25 minutes. Top with a sprinkle of cheese and bake for another 5 minutes.