This recipe that can be made a thousand different ways. Put an Italian or Greek twist on it instead of Mexican, use ground beef instead of ground turkey, go vegetarian with beans and tofu, add rice if you don’t want it carb free… I could go on and on. But the husband and I are on a healthy kick as of late so that was my guiding principle. Ground turkey sauteed with veggies and stuffed in charred poblano peppers over a simple spicy red enchilada sauce.

The Stuffing:

• 1 package organic ground turkey breast (about 1lb)
• 1 bell pepper, chopped (I used yellow)
• 1 small white onion, chopped
• 1-2 cloves of garlic
• Few tablespoons of chicken broth or tomato sauce 
• Spices: I used a mixture of the following. Feel free to adjust. 
  • Ancho chili powder
  • Cumin
  • Coriander
  • Cayenne pepper for a little heat
  • Onion Powder
  • Salt & pepper
• Your choice of cheese for topping – I used a light mozzarella. A Mexican blend or pepper jack would be great. 

Instructions:

Pre heat the oven to 400 degrees. 

Saute the onions first for a few minutes and then add the peppers. Season with salt and pepper.

Season the meat with all of your spices and add to a hot pan with the peppers and onions. Break the meat down with a spoon. You can add a little chicken broth or tomato juice to help soften the meat and cover with a lid for a few minutes. I used chicken broth and some cherry tomatoes I had from the garden. I also mixed in a little bit of cheese so it sticks the mixture together. 

It sure don’t look pretty but it tastes good!

The Sauce:

• 2 ancho chili peppers in adobo sauce (these come in a can, and are smoky and hot!)
• 1/2 of an onion, chopped 
• Olive oil
• Fresh chopped tomatoes, or a can of tomato sauce (I happened to have fresh tomatoes from my garden so that’s what I used)
• Chicken or vegetable broth

Instructions:

Saute the onions and garlic in olive oil.

Add ancho chili peppers and stir for a few minutes.

Add tomatoes and chicken broth, season with salt & pepper. Let the broth reduce and thicken a bit.

Puree the sauce with a hand held mixer or pour into a blender. Let it cook down for a few more minutes and then set aside.

Tip: if your sauce comes out a bit too spicy for your taste, consider adding a pinch of sugar or a touch of cream.

The Peppers:

Poblanos chance spicy but are not always. If you’re cooking for kids maybe opt to use bell peppers instead. 

You can either throw the peppers on a grill or char them over a flame on your stove top as pictured below. They will cook more when you bake them in the oven so it’s just to get a nice blistered skin on them.

Pour the sauce on the bottom of your baking dish. Cut the peppers in half and fill with the meat stuffing.

Top with cheese and bake at 400 until nice and bubbly. I through the broiler on at the end to brown the cheese. 

Enjoy!