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These hearty, spicy, stuffed poblano peppers with quinoa and corn are a Southwestern classic and take less than an hour to make! Earthy and sweet, rich and filling, this is a delicious, simple recipe that's a real crowd-pleaser.
If you've never had poblano peppers before, now is the time to try them! They are mild and just slightly sweet, and hold up really well when roasted - which makes them perfect for stuffing. They're one of my favorite ingredients to use in quick and tasty dinners!
Which is why, when HelloFresh reached out to me to try their latest vegetarian-friendly meal box, and I noticed that Southwest Stuffed Poblanos was one of the meals, I had to give it a shot!
I'm a huge fan of Southwestern flavors, so between the fresh corn, southwestern spices, poblanos and melted, gooey, Pepperjack cheese, I couldn't wait to try this recipe.
I had never tried HelloFresh before, or any other meal kit services before, but I liked their emphasis on healthy, whole foods and easy-to-prepare meals - so I thought this was the perfect time to give it a shot. Especially since, now with two little kids running around, weeknight meal prep can be a challenge!
I was surprised at how easy this recipe was to make, even though it looked complex on the recipe cards that came with my meal kit. The pre-portioned ingredients were super convenient, and the directions were clear and easy to follow. I made a couple of minor substitutions to the recipe to make it slightly healthier but I didn't have to change much because the recipe itself was already healthy! It's vegetarian and gluten-free, and with just a few substitutions can be made vegan as well.
How to Make These Southwestern Stuffed Poblanos, Step By Step
Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash and dry all produce. Halve poblanos through stem, then remove seeds and ribs. Dice tomato. Trim and thinly slice scallions, separating whites from greens. Wash quinoa. Zest lime until you have 1 tsp; quarter lime.
Bring vegetable stock and a large pinch of salt to a boil in a small, lidded pot. Once boiling, add quinoa, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer until quinoa is tender and water has evaporated, 15-20 minutes. (TIP: If not all water evaporates, drain excess.)
While quinoa cooks, rub poblano halves with oil (about 1 tsp per pepper - 4 tsp total); season with salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet cut sides down. Roast on middle rack until tender, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine greek yogurt or sour cream, lime zest, a squeeze of lime juice, and 2 tsp water. Season with salt and pepper.
Drain corn and pat dry with paper towels. Heat a drizzle of oil (about 1 tsp) in a large, oven-safe pan over high heat. Add corn and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly charred, 4-5 minutes. (TIP: If corn begins to pop, cover pan.)
Reduce heat to medium and add tomato, scallion whites, and Southwest Spice blend or taco seasoning. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tomato breaks down, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Stir cooked quinoa into pan with veggies; season with salt and pepper.
Once poblanos are done roasting, stuff each with as much of the grain mixture as will fit. Place in pan with remaining grain mixture, nestling each poblano half in the grains. (TIP: If your pan isn't ovenproof, transfer mixture to a small baking dish and arrange stuffed poblanos in there.) Sprinkle evenly with cheese. Heat broiler to high.
Transfer pan with stuffed peppers to middle rack of oven. Broil until cheese is melted and lightly browned, 2-3 minutes.
Remove from oven, then top with lime crema and scallion greens. Divide among plates. Serve with any remaining lime wedges on the side for squeezing over.
Did I like HelloFresh? Would I use HelloFresh again?
Probably, yes! I liked the variety of healthy meal options and the ease of prep. I did make some minor substitutions (e.g. Greek Yogurt is a healthier swap for the Sour Cream) and I used less oil than the recipe called for, which reduced the calories per serving. But overall I thought it provided a great way to mix things up in the kitchen and make meal prep easier on busy evenings. If you're curious and want to learn more, check out HelloFresh. My readers can get 8 meals free + free shipping!
What Makes These Stuffed Peppers Healthy?
These peppers are packed with protein and fiber, making them a filling, vegetarian friendly, and nutritious meal. Poblano peppers are rich in Vitamin A, C, Potassium and fiber, while the quinoa provides whole grains and protein. Sweet corn provides lutein (good for your eyes!), B vitamins, and potassium, along with a healthy dose of fiber and the pepperjack cheese gives this recipe decadence while also adding protein.
Can you make this recipe gluten free or vegan?
Good news! This recipe already is gluten free! To make it vegan, either omit the cheese and Greek yogurt/sour cream, or use vegan substitutes for both.
The folks at HelloFresh are extending a special offer to my readers! Follow this link to get 8 meals free + free shipping!
How Hot Are Poblano Peppers?
- To save time, you can make the quinoa ahead of time and store it in your fridge (it will keep for up to 4 days).
- Instead of quinoa - you can use any whole grain: brown rice, barley, whole wheat couscous, or even bulgar wheat.
- You can also choose any cheese or veggies to mix in. Goat cheese might be a fun twist, or even a Mexican 4 cheese blend.
- If you don't have poblano peppers you can use bell peppers!
Poblano peppers actually have a pretty mild taste, and are about 2-8 times less spicy than jalapeno peppers, but spicier than bell peppers. On the Scoville heat unit scale, poblanos score 1,000-1,500 units vs. jalapenos which score at 2,500-8,000 units vs. bell peppers which have a score of 0. This makes them the perfect pepper for this recipe because they have enough flavor without being too spicy!
If you have tried this stuffed peppers recipe, or any other recipe on my blog, then please rate it and let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more delicious, healthy, family friendly food!
