Stuffed Poblano Peppers

These were so good, but took a while to prepare!

Ingredients
4 large poblano peppers
2 dried ancho chiles
1 tablespoons canola oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
5 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 lb. 90% lean ground sirloin
2 ounces 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
1 cups precooked brown rice (such as Uncle Ben's Ready Rice)
3 ounces queso fresco, crumbled and divided (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 T.fresh lime juice
1/2 T ground cumin
1 t. sugar
1 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
Cooking spray
1/4 cup cilantro leaves

Directions

• Preheat broiler.
• On a foil-lined baking sheet; broil poblanos for 12 minutes or until blackened, flip over after 6 minutes. 
• Place in a paper bag; fold to close tightly. Let stand 15 minutes. 
• Cut a lengthwise slit in each pepper; discard seeds and membranes. Set aside.
• While poblanos broil, place ancho chiles in a bowl. Cover with boiling water; let stand 10 minutes. 
• Drain.
• Reduce oven temperature to 400°.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
• Add onion and garlic; cook 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. 
• Reserve half of onion mixture. 
• Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, black pepper, and beef; cook 8 minutes or until beef is done, stirring to crumble. Remove from heat. 
• Add cream cheese, stirring until well combined. Stir in rice and half of queso fresco.
• Place ancho chiles, reserved onion mixture, juice, cumin, sugar, tomatoes, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a blender; process until smooth. 
• Pour 1/2 cup sauce into a square glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray. 
• **I used gloves for the next step**
• Open each poblano chile; flatten slightly with hand. Divide beef mixture evenly among chiles (chiles will be very full). Top evenly with remaining sauce and queso. 
• Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until bubbly, or follow freezing instructions. 
• Sprinkle with cilantro after cooking.

Notes from Cooking Light:

TO FREEZE: These do best in a shallow vessel, so follow the recipe instructions to use a standard 8-inch square dish. Cover tightly with heavy-duty foil; freeze up to 2 months.
TO REHEAT: No thawing step is necessary. Remove foil, and cover dish tightly with plastic wrap. Pierce plastic wrap 4 or 5 times. Microwave at HIGH for 14 to 15 minutes or until thoroughly heated. (We tried oven reheating and don't recommend it.)

                                          

Adapted from Cooking Light 2014

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