Poblano Deep Dish
Ready for the oven!
This is a good one, though not a Mama Classic.
Martina and I love Mexican food but Mark is resistant, add in the Year of COVID and we are stuck at home craving those cheesy, peppery, spicy flavors. Fortunately, I planted Poblanos this year.
You can cut corners here by buying things instead of growing them, using canned tomatoes, pre-shredded cheese, etc. You’re grown. You know what to do.
This is at least a double batch. I made one dish for supper and another to freeze for when I don’t feel like cooking.
First, cut the stems off the Poblanos and then cut in half longways and remove the seeds. Place cut side down on a lightly greased cookie sheet and pour or spray a little oil over the top of the peppers. Put under a broiler until the skins blister and brown, remove and put them in a paper bag or lay a big, brown paper bag over the cookie sheet and allow the peppers to steam for a while. This loosens the skins. Once cool, slide the skins off.
Now if you’re fancy, you can stuff each individual pepper. I’m sloppy and so I use them much like I would lasagna noodles.
What do we need?
#1 chorizo, loose, not in skins
6 Poblanos
1 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, diced
1 yellow squash, finely diced
1 14oz can of diced tomatoes
#1 grated cheese (cheddar, Mexican blend, colby jack, etc. Your choice.)
1/3 block of cream cheese
salt, pepper, spices of your choice
Sautee the chorizo and when it’s getting brown add the seasonings, onions, garlic, and squash and cook until the veggies are soft. Add tomatoes and simmer until most liquid has evaporated and the mixture is thick again. Taste for seasonings and add salt or anything else your palate lacks.
Spoon into a small, greased casserole dish in layers, beginning by covering the bottom with Poblanos, then spoon the chorizo mix in, then another layer of Poblanos, and more chorizo, etc, until your have everything in the dish. Top with cubes of cream cheese and shredded cheese.
Bake for about 30 minutes until cheese is brown, everything is bubbly. Serve with avocado and diced tomatoes on top.
