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)
- Roast peppers over fire on stove until skin is charred and blistered.
- Place in a plastic bag for a few minutes to steam, then peel off skin.
- Split peppers in half. If you don’t want it to be spicy, scrape out the seeds.
- Arrange roasted pepper halves on a baking sheet.
- In a small skillet, saute the garlic, onions and tomatoes together until the onions become translucent. Set aside to cool.
- In a bowl, toss together the chicken, black beans, corn and cheese.
- Stir in the sauteed onion mixture.
- Add cumin, and salt and pepper to taste.
- If you want it spicy, stir in cayenne pepper or hot sauce to taste.
- Fill pepper halves with the filling mixture.
- Top with a slice of Mexican queso fresco.
- 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.
- Serve with sour cream and salsa on the side.
NOTE: Goes great with Arroz Verde (green rice).
