Ranch Food & Fodder

RANCH FOOD & FODDER

by Deanna Dickinson McCall

Stuffed Peppers

We all love our peppers, in a lot of different ways. I think chile rellenos are many folks’ favorites. Relleno actually means stuffed or filled and is not limited to the cheese filled, fried favorite on so many menus. I love them as much as anyone. Many of us grew up eating bell peppers stuffed with rice and ground beef. I hated the taste of bell peppers growing up. I also disliked the yellow-green color and the limp, boiled to death texture. I would eat the filling and leave the pepper behind, if I could, without getting caught. They could be wadded up in a paper napkin if you were careful. If that wasn’t possible, they could be stuffed into a jean pocket and disposed of later. I learned at an early age the ranch dogs weren’t interested in the empty peppers, either.

I wanted something different using peppers as a main dish and with more southwestern flavor and so I came up with

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this recipe. It utilizes the ever-present ground beef so many of us have in our freezers. I grow a variety of peppers in my garden, and also purchase lots of the favorite NM Chiles like Big Jim, Anaheim, etc. The history of chile peppers is interesting. One thing I learned is that they are like grapes grown for wine. The soil and climate will make a difference. The same pepper planted in NM will taste different if grown in California, as an example. It is also interesting to note the Anaheim chile originated in NM and was taken to Anaheim, CA where it flourished. The Fresno chile was developed from New Mexico chile in Fresno, CA. Our pride in NM peppers is well founded, we are known for our Hatch varieties all over the world.

The following recipe can be adapted to your tastes, made milder or hotter according to which chorizo you use and the amount and variety of chile powder. The addition of corn is optional, I don’t add it if I am serving some kind of corn or corn dish with it. The assembled peppers can also be frozen and is one of our favorite “ranch fast foods” for those of us living in more remote areas.

Ingredients

About 10 big green chiles, lightly roasted 1 lb. ground beef 1 12-to-16-oz. tube of chorizo 1 cup Monterey jack cheese shredded ½ to 1 can of refried beans 1 TBS. chile powder 1 tsp. cumin ½ cup canned or frozen corn (optional) 2 cups red enchilada sauce

Shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Lightly roast the green chiles. You don’t really need to peel them, and you want them to have a little body. Set aside and let them cool down. While they are cooling begin making the filling.

Brown the beef and chorizo and drain some of the fat off. Stir in the beans, shredded cheese, chile powder, cumin, and corn, if using it. Add about half of the enchilada sauce. Cook a few minutes to allow the flavors to blend and spices to dissolve.

Make a long split in the chiles and remove the seeds. You can leave the stems on if you like. Fill each pepper with the meat mixture and place on a baking sheet. After all the chiles are filled sprinkle with the cheddar cheese, and spoon enchilada sauce over them.

You can freeze them at this point or continue with baking them. Bake at 350º ~30 min. until bubbling. You can add more enchilada sauce just before serving if desired. ▫