Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Ingredients

• 4  ancho chili pepper dried
• 1 teaspoon pepper black
• 1.5 cups brown rice (such as Uncle Ben's Ready Rice)
• 2 tablespoons canola oil 
• 0.3 cup cilantro leaves 
• 10  garlic clove minced
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin 
• 12 ounces ground sirloin 90% lean
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt divided
• 0.3 cup juice of lime fresh
• 3 cups onion chopped
• 8 large poblano pepper 
• 1.5 cups queso fresco divided crumbled
• 2 teaspoons sugar 
• 29 ounce tomatoes unsalted diced undrained canned

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• baking sheet
• oven
• blender
• plastic wrap
• aluminum foil
• broiler
• microwave

Directions

1. Preheat broiler.
2. Place poblanos on a foil-lined baking sheet; broil 3 inches from heat 12 minutes or until blackened, turning after 6 minutes.
3. Place in a paper bag; fold to close tightly.
4. Let stand 15 minutes. Peel and discard skins.
5. Cut a lengthwise slit in each pepper; discard seeds and membranes. Set aside.
6. While poblanos broil, place ancho chiles in a bowl. Cover with boiling water; let stand 10 minutes.
7. Drain.
8. Reduce oven temperature to 40
9. Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
10. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat.
11. Add onion and garlic; cook 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Reserve half of onion mixture.
12. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, black pepper, and beef; cook 8 minutes or until beef is done, stirring to crumble.
13. Remove from heat.
14. Add cream cheese, stirring until well combined. Stir in rice and half of queso fresco.
15. Place ancho chiles, reserved onion mixture, juice, cumin, sugar, tomatoes, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in a blender; process until smooth.
16. Pour 1 cup sauce into each of 2 (8-inch) square glass or ceramic baking dishes coated with cooking spray. Open each poblano chile; flatten slightly with hand. Divide beef mixture evenly among chiles (chiles will be very full). Arrange 4 chiles in each dish; top evenly with remaining sauce and queso.
17. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes or until bubbly, or follow freezing instructions.
18. Sprinkle with cilantro after cooking.
19. TO FREEZE: These do best in a shallow vessel, so follow the recipe instructions to use a standard 8-inch square dish. Cover tightly with heavy-duty foil; freeze up to 2 months.
20. TO REHEAT: No thawing step is necessary.
21. Remove foil, and cover dish tightly with plastic wrap. Pierce plastic wrap 4 or 5 times. Microwave at HIGH for 14 to 15 minutes or until thoroughly heated. (We tried oven reheating and don't recommend it.)