Kate’s Sausage Stuffed Poblanos

My sweet friend Kate was recently telling me how she and her husband are finding creative new ways to eat healthy and told me about how she stuffed poblanos with turkey sausage and I couldn’t get that out of my mind, so I had to do a riff on that. Instead of using rice as a binder, like I would for other stuffed peppers, I’m adding an egg white and some grated parmesan to make the filling hold together nicely. Kate’s husband is right-this tastes just like a sausage pizza, minus the guilt!

Ingredients (serves 4 as an appetizer, 2 as a main):

2 large poblano chiles

2 teaspoons olive oil

½ cup diced onion

1 cup diced zucchini

1 cup diced mushrooms

½ cup diced red bell pepper

1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs

Salt and pepper to taste

2 sweet Italian chicken sausages (I used Al Fresco™) brand

½ cup marinara, plus a little more for the plate, if you wish

1 egg white

2 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

¼ cup low fat shredded mozzarella (I’m using fat free because it is what I have)

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.

Cut the poblanos in half lengthwise, all the way through the stem. Remove the seeds and veins, trying to keep the stem intact to help hold in the filling. Place the poblanos on the baking sheet.

In a large skillet, heat the oil on medium heat. Add the onion, zucchini, mushrooms, bell pepper and Italian herbs. Add in salt and pepper to taste.

Cook on medium for about 5-8 minutes or until the veggies are soft. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Diced the sausages and add those to the veggie mixture. Add in the marinara, stir, and then add the egg white and parmesan.

Stuff the sausage mixture into the poblanos (tip: if you gently spread the peppers out with one hand, you can put more stuffing in) and top with a bit of mozzarella.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

To serve, place a bit of extra marinara on a plate and top with 1 or 2 poblano halves.