Baked Chile Relleno

I love me a good chile relleno, but the deep-fried cheesy goodness variety doesn't fit in well with my current healthy eating plan. I came up with this version so I could enjoy a spicy stuffed pepper without so much guilt! It was also much easier to prepare than a traditional chile relleno, because it was easier to remove the seeds since it didn't matter if the peppers split open too much because they weren't going to be fried.

I really liked the stuffing mixture on its own - you'll notice that I didn't even add any sort of spices or seasonings to it, because of the great flavors of all the veggies in it! You could also omit the chicken sausage for a great vegetarian meal, and if you don't want a spicy pepper this would also be great in a red or gold pepper instead.

Ingredients

4 poblano peppers
2 links chicken sausage (I used a green chile variety)
2 tsp. olive oil
1 red pepper, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
8 oz. cremini mushrooms, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 cup canned sweet corn
1 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped
2 Tbsp. reduced-fat sour cream
1 cup reduced-fat cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Preheat broiler. Place poblanos on a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil, turning every few minutes, until skin is completely blackened and blistered. Immediately place poblanos is a large bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let steam at least 15 minutes. Peel charred skin from the peppers. Cut a slit down one side and carefully remove seeds. Set peppers aside. Turn oven down to 375 degrees.

2. Meanwhile, remove casing from chicken sausage and place in a large skillet. Break up into small pieces and stir frequently until cooked through, about 7-8 minutes. Remove from pan, drain any fat and set aside.

3. Heat olive oil in the same skillet. Add red pepper, onion, and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent and mushrooms are soft, about 6-7 minutes. Add garlic and tomatoes and cook 2 minutes more. Stir in corn, cilantro, sour cream, and chicken sausage remove from heat.

4. Place peppers on another foil-lined baking sheet. Stuff with the chicken sausage mixture and top with cheese. Bake 10-12 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.