These flavor bombs are a household favorite chez-moi! A complete meal in and of itself but you can certainly add a side salad or simple steamed veggies on the side.
Dirty Rice Stuffed Poblano Peppers
These flavor bombs are a household favorite chez-moi! A complete meal in and of itself but you can certainly add a side salad or simple steamed veggies on the side.
Equipment
- 1 baking dish
- 1 paring knife
- 1 large skillet heavy-bottomed, with lid
- 1 wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 4 large poblano peppers may sub bell peppers or hatch chili peppers
- 2 tbsp rendered bacon grease or olive oil see notes
- ½ lb hot Italian sausage casings removed; may sub mild if you're sensitive to spice
- 1 cup onion diced
- 1 cup celery diced
- 1 green pepper diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
- 1 tbsp cajun seasoning may sub creole seasoning but see notes for further instructions
- 15 oz can of black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 cup long grain white rice uncooked
- 2 ⅛ cups beef stock
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tbsp Italian parsley chopped; optional
- ½ cup grated cheese of your choice see notes
- 2 scallions sliced; optional
Instructions
- In a heavy-bottomed large skillet, heat bacon grease or olive oil over medium heat. Add sausage and break up into small pieces using a wooden spoon. Cook, stirring occasionally, until no pink remains, about 5 minutes.
- Once the meat begins to brown, add diced onion, celery, and bell pepper; stir to combine. Add garlic, cajun seasoning, salt, and pepper; stir until veggies soften, about 5 minutes.
- Move everything to one side of the skillet and add dry rice to the empty side. Toast the rice for a good minute, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t burn.
- Stir everything together, add beans, bay leaf, and beef stock; stir and scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the skillet. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and cook for 18 minutes or until rice is cooked.
- Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes, remove bay leaf, add parsley, then fluff with a fork.
- Meanwhile, slice the poblanos top to bottom, leaving an inch on each end. Remove ribs and seeds without breaking the pepper. I use a paring knife and my hands. It can be tricky, so be patient!
- Preheat the oven to 375° f and set a rack to the middle position.
- Stuff the peppers and place in a baking dish. Add 2 tablespoons of water to the bottom of the dish and drizzle peppers with extra-virgin olive oil.
- Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle with cheese, and bake for another 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.
- Garnish with sliced scallions; optional. Serve hot!
Notes
– When you cook bacon ALWAYS save the fat; it’s straight flavor! Store in an airtight container in the fridge and use as needed.
– You can sub Creole for Cajun seasoning but you will need to add more cayenne to the mix! Although both share the same base ingredients like black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt; Creole seasoning is more herbaceous and earthy than bold and spicier Cajun. Creole seasoning would be heavier on the oregano, thyme, and smoked paprika; Cajun would include more cayenne and chili.
– I used ricotta salata because that’s what I had on hand and I was curious. However, ricotta salata is not a melting cheese so it may be wise to take that into consideration. Overall, I prefer a melting cheese for this recipe (like cheddar or pepper jack).
