Fun, Local, Farm Grown Food and Healthy Living
Chicken Chorizo Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients
2/3 cup long grain white rice or saffron rice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 bell peppers, any color (available at La Esperanza)
1 Tbsp jalapeno infused olive oil (available at Texas Olive Ranch)
1 1/4 lbs chicken chorizo sausage (available at K Bar K)
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped (1 cup) (Available at La Esperanza)
3 garlic cloves, minced (1 Tbsp) (Available at La Esperanza)
1 (14.5 oz) can Rotel diced tomatoes, drained (or make your own with tomatoes, onion and jalapenos available at La Esperanza)
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
3 Tbsp minced fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
2 tsp Italian cumin
2 cups queso fresco cheese, crumbled
1 cup Mexican style four cheese blend
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cook rice according to package instructions.
Meanwhile, trim about 1/4-inch from tops of bell peppers and then remove stems, ribs and seeds. Chop up pepper tops.
Fill a baking dish large enough to fit peppers with about 1/2-inch of water.
Place peppers upside down in water, cover with foil and bake 20 minutes.
Meanwhile heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and bell pepper and saute 3 - 4 minutes.
Move onions to one far side of the skillet. Add chicken chorizo sausage in chunks, season with salt and pepper then let sear until browned on bottom, about 3 minutes.
Break up sausage and toss with onions and peppers and continue to cook 2 minutes, add garlic and cook until sausage is cooked through, about 1 minute longer. Remove from heat, drain off excess fat.
Stir in tomatoes, half of the tomato sauce (about 1/2 cup), cooked rice, queso fresco cheese, cilantro, cumin and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Reduce oven temperature to 350. Turn peppers upright, sprinkle inside peppers lightly with salt and fill with sausage filling. Pour remaining tomato sauce over peppers. Cover with foil and continue to bake 20 minutes.
Remove from oven, sprinkle with Mexican cheese, return to oven and bake uncovered until peppers have reached desired tenderness, about 10 - 20 minutes longer. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve warm.