Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice

Name: Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice
Prep time: 8 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 58 min
Yield: 8 portions
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 4 large poblano peppers; 1 lb ground beef; 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce; 2/3 cup green onion, chopped; 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped; 1 tbsp garlic oil (may sub 2 minced garlic cloves); 2 tsp ground cumin; 2 tsp chili powder; 1 tsp paprika; 1/2 tsp oregano; 1/2 tsp sea salt; 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded and divided; Optional: Sour cream to top (I prefer this lactose-free option ); 1 large head cauliflower (6 cups), riced; 1 cup cilantro, finely chopped; 1 lime, both zest and juice; 1/2 tsp sea salt

September 24, 2018 By Whip & Wander 32 Comments

Transitioning into Fall with Stuffed Poblano Peppers

One of my favorite things in our summer garden this year was our small chili pepper crop. I was especially excited about our poblano plant this year because last year we had a grand total of one poblano grow and subsequently get eaten by a garden pest before the plant went completely dormant for the season. This year, I’ve enjoyed being able to walk right into my back yard to gather a variety of chili peppers for meals, using them to elevate the flavor and heat of everything from frittatas to quesadillas and tacos.

Now that it’s officially fall, I’m enjoying using poblanos as the star attraction in these seriously tasty Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice. This dish is the best of summer, translated into a warm and comforting fall dish that will carry you into the cooler months.

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How spicy are poblano peppers?

Overall, poblanos are generally considered to be a mild chili pepper, though their heat can vary substantially from pepper to pepper – even on the same plant. I’ve had poblanos that are super mild and others that I’ve been grateful to eat with a healthy dollop of sour cream to tone down the heat. Capsaicin, a naturally occurring compound found in the highest concentrations in the ribs and pith of the pepper (the white part), is responsible for a pepper’s heat. By removing the ribs and pith along with the seeds in these Stuffed Poblano Peppers, you can often lessen the heat of the pepper quite a bit.

Taming the heat with a little citric acid

If you’ve been following the blog since the beginning, you’ll know that even though my heat tolerance is not high, I am a big fan of chili peppers. In fact, the first recipe to grace this blog is for another stuffed pepper favorite: Jalapeno Poppers with Sausage and Cream Cheese. Alternatively, this recipe for Stuffed Poblano Peppers is chock full of ground beef in a well-seasoned tomato sauce base and loaded with green onions and cheddar cheese. To compliment the spice, I’ve paired them with a refreshing and citrusy Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice that helps tempter the heat a bit with natural citric acid. Additionally, I love to top these with a little lactose-free sour cream!

Overall, I would certainly consider this dish to be spicy, but I personally do not find it to be melt-your-face-off hot.

A note for special diets

These Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice are grain-free, gluten-free, low-carb and friendly for Keto diets with a net carb count of 6g per serving. For SIBO diets, I like to use a sharp cheddar cheese specifically because it is generally considered low-lactose (less than .5g/serving) and love to top these with a lactose-free sour cream. If lactose is not an issue for you, you can easily use a traditional sour cream instead.

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