Stuffed Anaheim Peppers

Okay so to be quite honest, I actually made these stuffed Anaheim peppers back in May and June, but never put up the post... I have been slacking, yes I know, and for that I apologize. But let me make it up to you: just trust me... make these peppers and then you will sit back and say "okay Virginia, I forgive you... This was worth the wait."

So what, you may ask, IS an Anaheim pepper? This link will fill you in, as well as give you some tips about buying and what to look for, as well as a picture.

Okay, now that you are up to speed, let me explain the thought process on this recipe... I was making enchiladas with homemade tomatillo sauce (verde sauce) and I wanted something to accompany it. So my Mommy, who is AMAZING, is ALWAYS talking about these delicious peppers she likes to make. She stuffs them with pretty much just cream cheese and then broils them. I decided to take it a step further and add some grated cheddar cheese, cilantro, garlic (because, well let's just face it, garlic rocks), a few bread crumbs (totally optional), and then to top the whole thing off, I wrapped those suckers up in delicious thickly sliced bacon.... Then I broiled them until both sides were nicely browned and the bacon cooked... Then we dug in... and THEN my husband said "hey honey, can you run to Wal-Mart?" I said "Why? What do you need?"

his reply???


"More Anaheim peppers! These things rock!!"

So there you have it: easy enough to do, a total man pleaser, and a great compliment to any southwest, tex mex, or mexican meal... (or really anything honestly).

Here is how you do it:

4 Anaheim peppers, washed
1 block cream cheese
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 bunch fresh cilantro washed and chopped
1 clove minced garlic
1/4 c bread crumbs (I used the seasoned kind... didn't really go with the "mexican" theme, but tasted awesome!)

bacon. lots and lots of bacon...
oh and tooth picks. you need some of those too. And if you have a broiler pan, I suggest you dig it out, it will come in handy.

Okay so first you set out your cream cheese and let it soften up a bit, just so it makes things easier.

Then you need to seed and prep your peppers. Remember, you are going to be stuffing these and then roasting them, so you don't want to go lopping the tops off. Instead, make a slit all the way down the pepper, then cut halfway through the top part of the pepper, without severing it completely. This will allow you enough room to cut out the seeds and give it a good washing (which helps the stubborn seeds break loose), and stuff it up with your filling.

Once all your peppers are prepped, set them aside and start making your filling... Basically add everything except the peppers and the bacon to a bowl, then mix it up really well and stuff 1/4 of the mixture into each pepper.

Now comes the fun part! Take a tooth pick and stick a slice of bacon to the top of the pepper in a way that covers the seam from the cut. Then wind the piece around the pepper, make sure that all the seams are covered (to prevent the filling from leaking out). You will need a couple of slices per pepper at least... and lots of toothpicks. Don't worry about going overboard with the toothpicks, you will just pull them out once the peppers are done anyway! Better safe then sorry!

Preheat your broiler and line the peppers up on a broiler pan. I like to line my pan with foil so that clean up is a snap... Oh and if you don't have a broiler pan you could just use a foil lined cookie sheet or a foil lined cookie sheet with a cooling rack sat in it...

Broil for about 5 minutes on each side, checking frequently so that they don't burn.

Enjoy your deliciousness!


***Correction: Added March 3, 2011***

My mother contacted me to correct my description of her peppers. She also wrapped them in bacon and put other goodness into the filling. So I guess great minds think alike. I wasn't as different as I thought! Sorry Mommy!!!!