Cheesy Chicken Stuffed Poblanos

I had to google what the difference between chiles and peppers yesterday.

And guess what?

I still don’t understand what separates them from each other. It has something to do with the chemical makeup of what makes them spicy or not, but that’s all weird scientific semantics to me. Peppers, chiles, whatever you call them—they all seem the same to me.

My favorite pepper is hands down the poblano. It’s only slightly spicy (to me) and has this delicious flavor I can’t get enough of. Poblanos are usually used for chile relleno, but I’ve made all sorts of different recipes with them before.

Serrano & jalapeno are close runners-up. Jalapeno is classic, and serrano is just a bit spicier than jalapeno.

When it comes to chiles, I have a soft spot for Hatch green chiles. Chipotle & ancho follow those little green morsels up. If you can, I highly recommend buying chile powders in both of those. They make a much better batch of chili than just regular ol’ chili powder.

I’ll just go ahead and enjoy peppers and chiles the same way, and live in ignorant bliss. I may never really know the difference between them, but I also know I don’t need to know.

I wanted to make a chile-relleno type stuffed poblano with this recipe, but one that would fit my keto diet. I think this concoction fit the bill! I made it super cheesy and stuffed some spicy chicken and mushrooms into those roasted poblano shells. The flavor was out of this world.

I did roast the peppers (halved) before hand, but that might have been overkill. They weren’t very sturdy to hold up the filling; they were more like little trays to transport the filling to your mouth. If you’re cool with that, then have at it roasting beforehand. If you like your peppers/chiles crispier, just wait to bake them with the filling.

Enjoy these chiles/peppers/whatever-you-want-to-call-them. Needless to say, they are beyond tasty.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Season chicken with garlic powder, cumin, cayenne, salt, pepper and chili powder.

Add chicken to skillet and cook, about 4-5 minutes per side, until cooked through. Transfer to a plate to cool.

Meanwhile, heat remaining tablespoon oil in skillet. Add green onion and jalapeno and saute for 2-3 minutes.

Add mushrooms to skillet and cook until browned, about 3 minutes.

Shred chicken with two forks or a stand mixer. Transfer to a bowl. Add green onion mixture to bowl. Stir in cheese, cream and sour cream. Stir until mixture is well combined.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lay out poblano halves cut side up. Drizzle olive oil over the top. Spoon chicken mixture into poblanos. Bake for 15-20 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly. Top with scallion greens before serving.