Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Inspired by a friend who recently served stuffed banana peppers, I made a last minute run out to Whole Foods last night to concoct a similar version for dinner. While I didn't look too hard, I was unable to find fresh banana peppers so I went with Poblano instead. Awesome choice!

Stuffed Poblano peppers are typically served as a Mexican dish, but I had an obscene amount of sweet Italian sausage at home (thank you Costco) so I went with an Italian theme instead.

One thing about me, as a cook. I am not a measurer. Baking of course, cooking rarely. Especially if I'm not going off a recipe and just making it up on my own (which I love). Often the hubby just looks at me and sarcastically questions, "You just CAME up with this on your own?!?!" Like he doesn't believe things can be made without following recipes.

This held true for last nights "recipe" as well. I mixed several casings of the Italian sausage (removing the sausage from the actual casing first) with Monterrey Jack cheese. No idea why I went with that cheese. I should have used Mozzarella, but I think that would have been Italian overkill anyway. I threw in a dash of dried Oregano and Basil seasonings and mixed together.

Now the gloves come off. Remove all jewelry and get your hands dirty. Stuff each hallowed out, washed pepper full of the sausage and cheese mixture till it's overflowing. Next, place the stuffed peppers on a pre-heated grill pan. My sister gave us one for our wedding from Crate & Barrel. They're perfect for grilling when the hubby's gone or the back deck has a foot of snow on it. Especially if you go with cast iron, which seasons itself the more you use it. I want to get one for my mom so she can grill whenever she wants.

Anyway, cook on both sides until you get nice grill marks. The sausage won't be cooked through though, so you'll have to place the peppers in a pan and finish cooking at 350 degrees in the oven. This should take about 20 minutes.

Since there are really only three main ingredients it's an easy, no-recipe-to-follow dish to take a risk on. The Poblano peppers give a little kick and crunch to the dish. Add a can of marinara sauce and serve on a bed of Penne pasta for a complete meal.