Cheese and Whole Grain Stuffed (and Grilled) Poblanos

Summertime! Had to remind myself today that burgers and hot dogs aren’t the only things that can be tossed on a grill. I love (LOVE!) green chiles and the perfect green chile to stuff and grill is the poblano. Add some whole grains, some good cheese and lots of veggies and a terrific meal is on the table. You can sub out rice for the whole grains, you can add chicken or even chorizo if you want, but I really liked tasting everything just like this. You can actually make these the day before you want to grill and just keep them covered. Leftover filling? Consider that the most awesome grain salad your co-workers have ever seen!

Just a note: the picture may not show the peppers to scale, but good poblanos are about 6 inches long, so each stuffed pepper really is a meal for one.

Ingredients (serves 6):

½ cup quinoa rinsed (or rice)

½ cup farro, rinsed (or rice)

2 cups vegetable stock

2 large green onions, chopped

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained

1 large roasted red pepper from a jar, diced

½ cup corn kernels (from the cob or frozen)

1 cup Chihuahua cheese (or Monterey Jack), diced

Chopped cilantro and/or parsley, to your taste

Juice of ½ of a lime

Pinch of sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

4 large poblanos, slit down the side and seeds removed

Garnishes:

Salsa Verde

Mexican crema (or sour cream)

Parsley or cilantro

Squeeze of lime juice

Crumbly cheese of your choice, like Queso Fresco

Fresh red bell pepper, diced

Directions: Combine the rinsed farro and quinoa in a medium saucepan with the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and let cook until the stock is absorbed-about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

Add the chopped green onions, minced garlic, green chiles, red pepper and corn to the farro/quinoa mixture and stir. Toss in the cheese, cilantro/parsley, lime juice, salt/pepper and pinch of sugar.

Holding one poblano in your non-dominant hand (I’m right handed, so that would be my left), use your fingertips to open the slit in the side of the pepper. Using your dominant hand (my right), take heaping teaspoonful of the filling and pack it into the pepper. You want it just full enough so that the pepper can almost close back around it. If you want, you can slip a toothpick or two through the ends of the peppers to help keep them closed.

Heat the grill to medium and carefully place the peppers on. Cook about 6 minutes, then turn to the other side and cook another 3-5 minutes. Remove to a platter and garnish away!

Patty Melts with Mushrooms, Onions, Swiss and Cheddar

Everybody needs a good patty melt every once in a while! These are just as easy as a regular burger and give you a whole lot more flavor. Sauteed mushrooms and onions pair with two kinds of cheese for a super-melty sandwich and the crisp crust takes it over the top. 

Ingredients (makes 4 sandwiches):

Sauce:

1/3 cup Thousand Island salad dressing

1/3 cup mayo (You’ll need more mayo to assemble the sandwiches)

Veggies:

2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 large onion, sliced

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced

Patties:

1 pound ground chuck

2 teaspoons ketchup

1/4 cup beef broth

Salt and pepper to taste

Sandwich assembly:

8 slices rye bread

4 slices Swiss cheese

4 slices cheddar cheese

4 Tablespoons mayo

Directions:

Sauce: Combine the Thousand Island and 1/3 cup mayo in a small bowl and refrigerate until ready to assemble the sandwiches.

Veggies: Heat 1 Tablespoon of oil in a large pan. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook about 5 minutes on medium or until the mushrooms are soft. Remove to a bowl.

Add the remaining Tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Add the sliced onions and cook on medium for about 10 minutes, until soft and translucent. Some browning is fine. Remove to a bowl.

Remove the skillet from heat but keep it handy.

Patties: Mix the ground chuck, ketchup, beef broth, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl and combine thoroughly. Shape into four patties.

Heat your skillet back up over medium heat and cook the chuck patties about 4 minutes per side. Remove the patties to a plate and wipe out your skillet.

To assemble: Lay out 4 slices of rye bread and spread with some of the sauce. Add one patty, 1 slice of Swiss cheese, 1 slice of cheddar, some of the mushrooms and some of the onions. Lay out the next four slices, spread some sauce on them and put them on the patties sauce side down.

Coat the outsides of the sandwiches with the 4 Tablespoons of mayo. Heat your skillet back up to medium low and cook the sandwiches about 4 minutes per side until the outsides are crusty and golden and the cheese inside is melted.

Creamy Broccoli, Potato and Cheese Soup

This soup is on the table in less than 30 minutes with minimal prep if you have leftover mashed potatoes (hey, you can whip up some instant mashed potatoes for this if you don’t have leftovers). It’s creamy, hearty, cheesy and perfect for a rainy night.  You can easily make this vegetarian by leaving out the chicken base and skipping the bacon.

Ingredients (serves 4);

2 Tablespoons butter or margarine

½ cup diced onion

1 (32 ounce) carton vegetable stock (or chicken stock, whatever)

3 cups leftover mashed potatoes

1 teaspoon chicken base (optional)

1 (12 ounce) package frozen broccoli

Salt and pepper to taste

½ to 1 teaspoon garlic salt (also to taste)

2 cups processed American cheese, diced into ½ inch cubes

Crumbled bacon for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until soft and fragrant, but not brown. Add in the stock, potatoes, chicken base, broccoli, salt, pepper and garlic salt. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.

Puree the soup using a hand mixer (gosh, I love that thing!). Add the cheese in handfuls, stirring to melt each handful before adding the next.

Spoon the soup into bowls and garnish with crumbled bacon.