The day after Thanksgiving might be devoted to leftovers, but that doesn't mean it has to be a repeat of the big day. In fact, I like to work in some shredded turkey along with some items that did not make an appearance the day before: black beans, roasted tomatoes, a blend of shredded cheese, and fresh poblano peppers. A half hour later, you are digging into a batch of stuffed poblano peppers that both delicious and delightful. Dig in!
If you are in the mood for chicken instead, the turkey can get saved for another day - or if you decide this is your family's new favorite under 30 minutes dinner, chicken is generally easier to come by than turkey. If you like a bit more heat, opt for a spicy pepper jack or similar cheese. Any onion - white, red, yellow, green, etc - will work for this dish. Choose what you have on hand. I always stock black beans and fire-roasted diced tomatoes - other options can be used if you like them better. And while poblano peppers give a bit of kick to this dish, bell peppers can be used instead. You might need to bake them an additional 5-10 minutes to soften the peppers.
I like to serve these peppers with Tex-Mex rice. I will actually grab about a quarter cup each of the tomatoes and black beans and add them to my rice along with my favorite taco seasoning. If I'm making rice, I save the liquid I drain away from the tomatoes for that too. Waste not, want not … right? Enjoy this perfect post-Thanksgiving meal that's done in a half hour, uses leftovers without feeling like a repeat, and is sure to make your family cheer!
Cheesy Turkey Stuffed Poblano Peppers
- 1 cup shredded cooked turkey (or chicken)
- 1 cup shredded cheese of your choice, divided
- ½ red onion, diced
- 1 can black beans ,drained and rinsed
- 1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground chipotle pepper
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 poblano peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded
Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a medium-sized baking dish; set aside.
Combine the chicken, half of the shredded cheese, and the next 8 ingredients (diced red onion through black pepper) in a large bowl. Stir to combine. Spoon the mixture into each pepper half, filling it generously and placing in the baking dish.
Bake the peppers for 15 minutes before topping with the remaining shredded cheese and baking again until the cheese is melted, about 5 more minutes. Remove the peppers from the oven. Serve warm.
- Yields: 3-4 servings
- Preparation Time: 30 minutes