Grilled and Creamy Stuffed Bell Pepper

Looking for an easy, cost effective, and delicious way to appease your pepper loving guests?  This one will do it!  The creamy queso rice, salty and spicy chorizo, and the fresh bell pepper are the perfect vehicle on the grill to soak up that popping smoky flavor!  I love grabbing these peppers fresh from the garden.  You can beat your kids but you can NEVER beat your own organically grown vegetables.  I’m joking!  Organic meat is better…

Grilled and Creamy Stuffed Bell Pepper

Ingredients:

• 5 Bell Peppers
• 4 Cups Monterey Jack Cheese
• 1lb Chorizo
• 2 Packs of Knorr’s Rice Sides – White Cheddar Queso
• 1 tblspn Ancho Chili Powder

Directions:

Brown your Chorizo and drain the fat.  Cook your rice following the instructions.  If you cannot find this specific brand, use your favorite cheesy rice pack.  They only take about 7 minutes and work well with this recipe.  Add in 2 cups of Monterey Jack Cheese, your Ancho Chili Powder, and Chorizo.  Mix thoroughly.

Cut the tops off of your Green Peppers and make sure all of the seeds and ribs are removed.  Generously stuff each pepper with your rice and chorizo stuffing.  This ain’t no sissy pepper.

Setup your grill for indirect heat.  Let your grill heat up to about 350 and then place your peppers on the opposite end of the grill, away from the coals.  If you are using gas, only turn the burners on one side/half of your grill, placing the peppers on the opposite end.  Close your grill lid and let it work it’s magic!

After about an hour: **MAGIC**  **POOF** A PURPLE UNICORN?  No!  Your peppers – and they will look like this!  I used a smoke pack (which you can read the “how to” in my tips section) for that added smoky flavor, but it’s not necessary…if you’re a wimp!

Add your remaining cheese to the tops of the bad boys, close the grill, and let that beautiful cheese melt!  (I just had the “Roll that beautiful bean footage” line go through my head)

Hey – you’re a pro now!  Remove from the grill, serve, and Uncle Charles will never make fun of your cooking again!

My Raised Garden – Great BBQ begins with fresh ingredients…

Along with my undying affinity for great BBQ – I also have a passion for gardening.  Not only does it make me (dare I say) proud to be the hand to help these incredible plants flower and bear deeply colored beautiful fruit; I also get to reap the benefits of fresh, delicious, organic ingredients that will take any dish to a whole new level!

I started by building a raised garden.  I did this for two reasons:  1)  To aid in keeping those pesky critters from getting into my garden.  2)  So I don’t have to bend over as much.  Number 2 is very important.

2x6x12 boards, 4×4 posts, screws, 6 yards of soil, and a few beers later…

I don’t claim to be a purist by any stretch of the imagination, so I had filled the box with several starter plants.  If you care to start from seed – more power to you good sir/madam!

After 6 weeks – these plants are growing faster than ever and dying to become fresh Pico De Gallo!

Along with my 5 tomato plants, I have an assortment of peppers ranging from sweet and mild to very hot.  I.  LOVE.  PEPPERS!  Not only do they add such an arrangement of beautiful colors to your garden and help keep insects and rodents out; THEY ARE DELICIOUS!  Anywhere from stuffed and smoked peppers to salsa, the possibilities are vast.

Some of my pepper plants are finally starting to tease me with their growth.  I can hardly contain my excitement!

A baby Cheyenne Pepper!  Once this plant sprouts these deep red and amazing peppers – we can dry them out on the window sill and use them as hot pepper flakes on pizza or we can add those dry flakes to our next spicy BBQ rub!  You KNOW I’ll be doing each of these…

A baby Pablano Pepper – Just waiting to mature and become stuffed, smoked, and topped with cheese!  If you haven’t seen it yet – check out my Smoky Stuffed Pablano recipe!

Expect some exciting, new, and SPICY recipes to follow!

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers!

Smoky bacon and creamy filled hot peppers go together like Peanut Butter and Jelly…or a Wendy’s Frost and Fries…  Hey – It’s a Midwest thing!

If you’re looking for a good way to SPICE UP your next BBQ – you definitely should check this out!

Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers

Ingredients:

• Jalapenos
• Cream Cheese
• Bacon

Directions:

Set your pepper down so it lays flat on your cutting board.  About halfway down the pepper, cut up toward the stem, making sure to NOT cut the stem off.  We just want to cut into the side so we can clean it out and stuff it without having to worry about our stuffing falling out.

Take a smaller knife and carefully cut out the seeds and ribs.  We need space for that cream cheese, son!

Grab some cream cheese and stuff these bad boys like you mean it!  However – be careful to not break the pepper open.  You don’t want your friends to quit liking you – right?

Take one slice of bacon and wrap your jalapeno.  If you’re using a regular fatty piece of bacon, a toothpick normally isn’t necessary, as the bacon fat holds like glue.  In this specific example, I used thick and meaty bacon which doesn’t hold as well – hence the toothpick.

Setup your grill for indirect heat.  If you’re using a charcoal grill – setup the coals on one side of the grill.  If you are using gas – turn your burners on on only one side.  Let your grill heat up to a temperature of 350 degrees.  I throw a smoke pack on over the coals to get some of that extra smoky flavor!  If you are unfamiliar with how to do this, check out my Tips and Tricks section for a quick walkthrough!  EASY!

Place your Poppers on the end of the grill opposite the hot coals/heat source.  Shut your grill lid.  Your grill will now act as a smoky oven of glory.  Let it work its’ magic!

After about 45 minutes, your poppers will be done and the bacon will be brown and crispy!

Serve and enjoy!

Smoky Stuffed Pablano Peppers!

If a tender smoky pepper filled with a creamy spicy stuffing is your style, then you definitely should check this one out!

This is a common request I get from my guests, and if you’ve got some good sunshine and a bit of heat – this is sure to keep your guests begging for seconds…and something to drink!

*Of course, all recipes can be scaled down to accommodate for your group size*

Smoky Stuffed Pablano Peppers:

Ingredients:

• 14 Pablano Peppers
• 2 lb Chorizo Sausage
• 12 oz of Cream Cheese
• 2 Cups of Monterey Jack Shredded Cheese
• 2 boxes of Zatarain’s Spanish Rice
• 28 ounces of Tomato Sauce
• 3 Cups of Water

Instructions:

Preparing the Stuffing

Brown your Chorizo in a pan on the stove.  Drain the grease and set aside.

In a pot, prepare the Zatarain’s rice, following the instructions.  I use tomato sauce instead of the diced tomatoes that the box calls for.

Once the rice is just al dente, remove from heat and mix in your cream cheese and browned chorizo.  Mix well so all of the cream cheese melts and is incorporated evenly.  Taste for salt, as you may need to add a few pinches.

Preparing the Peppers

Lay your Peppers so they sit flat on the counter.  Starting from somewhere around the middle of the pepper, cut towards the stem so you end up cutting a hole in the top, while leaving the steam in tact and the pepper can lay flat on its’ side.  This allows us to stuff our peppers and set them on the grill without having to worry about losing our filling.

Take a smaller knife and remove the ribs and seeds on the inside.

Take your stuffing and fill each pepper generously, being careful to not burst them.

Cooking

Setup your grill for indirect heat.  If you are using charcoal (what I use and prefer), setup your coals on one side of the grill.  If you are using propane, turn on the burners for just one side or one half of your grill, depending on the size.  Let your grill heat up to and maintain a temperature of about 350 degrees.  I setup a foil pack to smoke some apple wood chips.  If you’re unfamiliar with this technique, check my other post that gives you tips for this setup.  It’s so easy and will take these to a WHOLE. NOTHER. LEVEL!

Set your peppers on the opposite side of the grill, so no direct heat is under them.

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Keep your grill lid CLOSED!  Checking periodically is ok, but each time you check you will release your heat and your smoke.

After about 40 minutes open your grill and your peppers should have started to wrinkle.  Top each pepper with your Monterey Jack Cheese.  Close the lid and cook for another 5-10 minutes to let the cheese melt.

Remove from the grill and let them rest for 10 minutes before serving.

ENJOY!