Roasted poblano peppers stuffed with corn, quinoa, and Monterey Jack are a complete vegetarian dinner in one dish. Five poblanos charred directly in a dry skillet until blackened in spots, halved, seeded, and filled with a mixture of sautéed onion, fresh corn, quinoa, scallions, and cubed cheese, then baked until the cheese is bubbling. Fifty minutes, serves two generously, and it’s the kind of weeknight dinner that looks more deliberate than it is.

The char on the peppers is the technique that makes this dish. Poblanos charred directly in a dry skillet over high heat develop a smoky depth that raw or oven-roasted peppers don’t have, and that smokiness carries through the whole dish. The char also softens the pepper skin so the flesh is pliable and easy to eat without being completely collapsed.

The quinoa and the filling

this …

A quarter cup of uncooked quinoa, boiled in a large pot of water for nine to twelve minutes until cooked through, then drained through a fine-mesh sieve. Quinoa absorbs more water than it needs when boiled in a large amount of liquid, so the fine-mesh sieve matters; a standard colander lets the grains through.

While the quinoa cooks, sauté a finely diced onion in one to two tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat until soft, about five minutes. Add the kernels stripped from two ears of corn, a seeded and finely diced hot chile, and the thinly sliced scallions. Turn off the heat. Stir in the cooked quinoa, four ounces of Monterey Jack cut into small cubes, a half teaspoon of smoked paprika, and a half teaspoon of salt. Taste and adjust.

Fresh corn stripped from the cob is worth the extra step over frozen. The kernels are crunchier and sweeter, and they hold their texture through the bake rather than going soft. In mid-summer when corn is at its peak, the sweetness of the fresh corn against the smoky paprika and the charred pepper is excellent.

The cheese in cubes rather than shredded is also a specific choice. Small cubes of Monterey Jack melt into distinct, molten pockets inside the filling rather than blending uniformly into the quinoa. Each bite has concentrated cheese in it rather than an even coating. Gruyère works as a substitute and adds a more complex, nutty flavor. Any melting cheese in the same quantity works at your discretion.

Charring the peppers

A large dry skillet over high heat, no oil. Add the whole poblanos and cook, turning every so often, until they’ve blackened in spots on each side. This takes ten to fifteen minutes depending on the size of the peppers and the heat output of your stove. The peppers should have visible black patches on all sides but shouldn’t be completely collapsed or charred through.

Let them cool enough to handle, then halve them lengthwise by cutting through the stem for a clean presentation that keeps each half looking intact. Pull out the seeds and discard them. The white membrane can stay or go; it adds a small amount of heat. Poblanos are mild by chile standards but not neutral; expect warmth rather than fire.

Filling and baking

Spoon the filling generously into each pepper half, mounding it above the rim of the pepper if needed. The filling is already cooked and seasoned; the oven is just for melting the cheese and warming everything through. Bake at 400 degrees for twenty to twenty-five minutes until the cheese is visibly bubbling.

This is a dish that works as a make-ahead option. Fill the peppers, cover tightly, and refrigerate for up to a few days before baking. The bake time from cold may need an extra five minutes. The cilantro and lime go on at the table just before eating, which keeps the cilantro from wilting and the lime juice bright.

Smoked paprika and why it matters here

The recipe specifies smoked paprika over regular sweet paprika. Smoked paprika is made from peppers dried over oak, which gives it a deep, woody, slightly meaty quality that regular paprika doesn’t have. Against the charred poblano and sweet corn, it adds a layer of savory depth that ties the filling together. Sweet paprika is a substitute but a noticeably different one. The quantity is half a teaspoon, which is enough to be present without being the only flavor you taste.

Stuffed peppers and their variations

I’ve eaten stuffed peppers across many food traditions and they’re one of those dishes that appears in some form across almost every cuisine: rice-stuffed bell peppers in American home cooking, lamb-stuffed peppers across the Maghreb, rice and herb-stuffed peppers throughout the Middle East and Mediterranean. The format is universal because it works: a vegetable vessel that cooks in the oven while the filling heats through, served as a complete unit. This corn-and-quinoa version is lighter and more vegetable-forward than most, and the smoked paprika and charred pepper exterior make it taste more complex than the short ingredient list suggests. Serves 2.

Substitutions that work

Bell peppers work in place of poblanos for a milder version with no heat. Black beans, drained and rinsed, can replace or supplement the quinoa for more protein and a heartier texture. A spoonful of salsa stirred into the filling before baking adds tomato acidity. Cotija crumbled over the top after baking adds a salty, dry contrast to the melted Monterey Jack.

Print Recipe

Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Corn and Quinoa

Author: Yas Sine Cooking Method: Baking, Stovetop Cuisine: American, Mexican Courses: Dinner Recipes Recipe Keys: M Make-Ahead P Pepper S Summer V Vegetarian

Difficulty: Beginner Prep Time 25 mins Cook Time 25 mins Total Time 50 mins

Cooking Temp: 400  C Servings: 2

Best Season: Summer, Fall

Description

Poblano peppers charred in a dry skillet, filled with corn, quinoa, sauteed onion, and cubed Monterey Jack, then baked until the cheese is bubbling. Vegetarian. Serves 2.

Ingredients

Cook Mode Cooking Mode Disabled

Servings

• 5 poblano peppers
• ¹⁄₄ cup uncooked quinoa
• 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion (finely diced)
• 2 ears corn
• 1 ¹⁄₂ cups kernels stripped (or about frozen corn thawed)
• 1 hot chile (seeded and finely diced)
• 3 scallions thinly sliced
• 4 oz Monterey Jack cheese or Gruyere (cut into small cubes)
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon kosher salt (plus more to taste)
• ¹⁄₂ cup fresh cilantro (chopped)
• Lime wedges for serving

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Boil the quinoa for 9 to 12 minutes until cooked, then drain through a fine-mesh sieve.
2. Place a large dry skillet over high heat. Add the whole poblanos and cook, turning occasionally, until blackened in spots on each side, about 10 to 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.
3. When cool enough to handle, halve the peppers lengthwise through the stem. Remove and discard the seeds.
4. Add the oil to the skillet over medium heat. Saute the onion for 5 minutes until soft. Add the corn, hot chile, and scallions. Turn off the heat. Stir in the cooked quinoa, cheese, smoked paprika, and salt. Taste and adjust seasoning.
5. Spoon the filling into the pepper halves. Arrange in a baking dish.
6. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the cheese is bubbling. Serve hot with fresh cilantro and lime wedges..

Equipment

• Large skillet

• Large pot for quinoa

• Fine-mesh sieve

• Baking dish

Note

Char the peppers in a dry skillet over high heat for maximum smokiness. Use smoked paprika rather than sweet for better depth in the filling. The dish can be assembled ahead and refrigerated for up to 3 days before baking. No nutrition data was provided for this recipe.

Keywords: stuffed poblano peppers, roasted poblano peppers, corn quinoa stuffed peppers, vegetarian stuffed peppers

Rate this recipe