Santa Fe Chicken Stuffed Pasilla Peppers

I was walking through the grocery store when I spotted a package of Foster Farms Southwestern Seasoned Chicken Breast Strips. I thought it would make a great filling for the pasilla peppers I had just passed by in the produce aisle so on the spur of the moment, I went back to get them, then ran around picking up ingredients to make stuffed pasilla peppers for dinner.

It turned out to be a great idea! The chicken strips were well-seasoned and tasty. I cut the strips into cubes and mixed them up with the other ingredients to make a yummy filling. I thought it would be nice to top each stuffed pepper with a little Mexican queso fresco (fresh cheese). The queso fresco didn’t melt like I thought it would, but it was still delicious with a mild, slightly salty flavor that complemented the filling perfectly. Serve with sour cream and salsa on the side. Muy delicioso!

SANTA FE CHICKEN STUFFED PASILLA PEPPERS

• 5 pasilla peppers
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ large onion, diced
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 2 pkg. Foster Farms Santa Fe chicken, cubed
• 1 can black beans, drained
• 1 cup frozen corn or 1 can whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 cup shredded cheese (I used a taco blend)
• 1 tsp. cumin
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp. cayenne pepper or hot sauce (optional)
• Mexican queso fresco (for topping)

1. Roast peppers over fire on stove until skin is charred and blistered.
2. Place in a plastic bag for a few minutes to steam, then peel off skin.
3. Split peppers in half. If you don’t want it to be spicy, scrape out the seeds.
4. Arrange roasted pepper halves on a baking sheet.
5. In a small skillet, saute the garlic, onions and tomatoes together until the onions become translucent. Set aside to cool.
6. In a bowl, toss together the chicken, black beans, corn and cheese.
7. Stir in the sauteed onion mixture.
8. Add cumin, and salt and pepper to taste.
9. If you want it spicy, stir in cayenne pepper or hot sauce to taste.
10. Fill pepper halves with the filling mixture.
11. Top with a slice of Mexican queso fresco.
12. Bake at 400º F until queso fresco melts. If you want the cheese a little toasted, broil for a few minutes until cheese begins to turn golden brown.
13. Serve with sour cream and salsa on the side.

NOTE:  Goes great with Arroz Verde (green rice).