Tag: poblano peppers

Categories
Main Dish Soup

Think you can’t eat chili in summer? That’s your ‘poblano’

Chorizo poblano chili is a great meal year round. Featuring some robust spices like chili powder and paprika, along with a combination of chorizo, ground beef and fresh peppers, this chili is a hearty dish that is a real crowd pleaser.
Chorizo poblano chili is a great meal year round. Featuring some robust spices like chili powder and paprika, along with a combination of chorizo, ground beef and fresh peppers, this chili is a hearty dish that is a real crowd pleaser.

There is really only one part of winter that I like: getting to eat soup.

But then I realized one day that you really don’t have to reserve having a big bowl of soup, stew or chili to the cold months. Honestly, despite being a warm food, it’s not an awful summer meal.

You don’t have to heat up the kitchen with the oven, you generally get leftovers to put in the fridge for those days you spend all day in the yard and don’t want to cook, and there are plenty of fresh garden veggies around to include.

So, yeah, I’m on board with eating a hot bowl of deliciousness any time of the year.

Obviously, what I’m really after is justifying the fact that I’m sharing a traditionally warm-weather recipe with you in May, but I figure this is my column, and if you’re not impressed, you can just put it in your recipe box to try in the fall.

This comes from the blog “Abras Kitchen” by Abra Pappa. You can find the original recipe at https://abraskitchen.com/chorizo-poblano-chili/. I added extra spices in my version below.

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Chorizo Poblano Chili

Chorizo poblano chili is a great meal year round. Featuring some robust spices like chili powder and paprika, along with a combination of chorizo, ground beef and fresh peppers, this chili is a hearty dish that is a real crowd pleaser.
Course Main Course
Keyword chicken stock, chili powder, chorizo, cumin, diced tomatoes, fresh garlic, ground beef, jalapeno peppers, kidney beans, minced garlic, onion, oregano, paprika, poblano peppers, vegetable stock

Ingredients

  • 1 pound chorizo
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 large onion diced
  • 6 to 8 cloves garlic minced
  • 3 poblano peppers diced
  • 1 jalapeno pepper diced (remove ribs and seeds for a milder taste)
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon cumin
  • 2 teaspoons oregano
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 15- ounce can kidney beans drained and rinsed
  • 2 15- ounce cans diced tomatoes
  • 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock

Instructions

  • Heat a large pot over medium-high heat.
  • Add the chorizo and ground beef, cooking until it’s browned and cooked through, and breaking it apart as you go.
  • Remove the meat with a slotted spoon to a plate over to the side.
  • Remove all but two tablespoons of fat from the pot. Add in the onions and peppers, and saute until they are softened. Add in the garlic and saute for a couple minutes until the garlic just starts to brown.
  • Pour in the beans and spices. Stir well, letting the spices toast a bit (about two minutes).
  • Add in the diced tomatoes, cooked chorizo and beef, and the chicken stock, and scrape the bottom of the pot to incorporate any stuck-on bits.
  • Bring the mixture to a boil, and then turn the heat down to a simmer, and let the chili cook for one hour, stirring regularly, until the liquid reduces to a consistency you like. Add more spices, as needed, and serve.

This was not nearly as spicy as I thought it would be. When I did the “add more spices” step, I added quite a bit more to really punch up the spice level, but it was probably perfect for quite a few folks’ palates.

Combining the chorizo with the ground beef gave this chili a bit more of a robust flavor that we really enjoyed.

And I’m sorry if I was too harsh with those of you who are in the “soup is only for winter camp” earlier. I was probably hungry. But after a big bowl of chili, I am definitely feeling much better.

This piece first appeared in print May 22, 2025.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Main Dish

With tamale casserole, mi ‘masa’ es su ‘masa’

Chicken tamale casserole gives you all the traditional flavors and textures of tamales without all the time and effort in the kitchen.
Chicken tamale casserole gives you all the traditional flavors and textures of tamales without all the time and effort in the kitchen.

One of our friends likes to say that he won’t order foods from a restaurant that are easy to make at home. Instead, he tries to order dishes that he would never make for himself.

The list includes plenty of time-consuming, delicious meals.

For me, one of those items is tamales.

I did make tamales once. They were awesome. But it was also when we were stuck at home for the pandemic, and time was a little easier to find. Someday, I’ll do it again.

In the meantime, though, I have been satisfying those cravings by ordering tamales from our great local Mexican spots. Except now I have a way to get the same flavor profile with none of the intense work, thanks to a tamale-themed casserole.

This comes from the blog “Life Made Simple.” You can find the original post at https://lifemadesimplebakes.com/chile-verde-chicken-tamale-casserole-9/. I added extra sauce, extra cheese and extra garlic powder in mine.

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Chicken Tamale Casserole

Chicken tamale casserole gives you all the traditional flavors and textures of tamales without all the time and effort in the kitchen.
Course Main Course
Keyword chicken, chile verde, cilantro, corn, enchilada sauce, fresh cilantro, frozen corn, garlic powder, masa harina, Monterrey jack cheese, poblano peppers, rotisserie chicken, tamales

Ingredients

Ingredients

  • 1 rotisserie chicken deboned and shredded
  • 1 cup chicken broth or stock
  • 19 ounce can chile verde enchilada sauce divided
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped (plus more for serving)
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 4 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese divided

Tamale Dough Ingredients

  • 3 cups masa harina
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 12 tablespoons cold butter cubed
  • 3 cups frozen corn thawed, divided
  • 1 roasted poblano pepper deseeded and diced
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 1/4 cup chicken broth or stock

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a nine-by-13-inch deep baking dish by spraying it with cooking spray, and set it aside.
  • Add the chicken, broth, half of the sauce, cilantro and garlic powder to a large skillet. Heat it over medium-low, stirring occasionally, while you prepare the tamale layers.
  • Add the masa, sugar, baking powder, butter, two cups of corn, the poblano, salt and pepper to a food processor or blender. Process until everything is in coarse crumbs. Add the broth and process until the mixture is smooth and thick. Fold in the remaining corn.
  • Spread half of the tamale mixture evenly across the bottom of your baking dish. Sprinkle about one and one-fourth cup of cheese over that. Add in all of the chicken mixture, spreading it out over the cheese layer. Add another one and one-fourth cup of cheese. Spread the rest of the tamale mixture on the top.
  • Pour the rest of the enchilada sauce on the top, and then finish with the rest of the cheese.
  • Cover the dish with aluminum foil, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes.
  • Serve topped with more chopped cilantro. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

This was absolutely delicious, and it reheated phenomenally. (Thank goodness, because it makes a ton of food.) All of the flavors of a good, chicken tamale were there, and we will definitely be making this again—much sooner than I’ll probably be making traditional tamales.

As a side note, I roasted my poblano by placing it under the broiler until it was charred on all sides and then placing it in a glass bowl with plastic wrap on top to steam for about 10 minutes. Then, I could scrape off the skin, scoop out the seeds and dice it up. Easy peasy. If you’re nervous about a poblano being too spicy, try an Anaheim pepper instead.

Now that I have a good copycat for tamales, I’ll have to explore some other tough dishes at our local restaurants. I’m looking at you, mole.

This piece first appeared in print Sept. 12, 2024.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

Categories
Main Dish Soup

Soup recipe lets me tell counter leftovers ‘see you tater’

Potato poblano corn chowder is creamy and filling, especially with the addition of shredded chicken and extra potatoes.
Potato poblano corn chowder is creamy and filling, especially with the addition of shredded chicken and extra potatoes.

They’ve just been staring at me.

Four potatoes have been sitting on my kitchen counter since Thanksgiving, and as the days passed, they literally were growing some eyes to look at me with.

So I knew I needed to make something to use them up, and with the weather finally hitting a dreaded cold snap, I decided to pull out a chowder recipe I’ve been meaning to try.

Of course, I had to do some tweaking, including making it a bit heartier by adding chicken and increasing the spices and vegetables, too.

If you’re looking for a vegetarian recipe, just leave out the chicken, use some vegetable broth and throw in even more potatoes. It’ll still be delicious.

The recipe I tried, by Ivy Manning, appeared in “Fine Cooking” magazine in 2018. You can find it on their website at https://www.finecooking.com/recipe/potato-poblano-corn-chowder.

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Potato Poblano Corn Chowder

Potato poblano corn chowder is creamy and filling, especially with the addition of shredded chicken and extra potatoes.
Course Main Course
Keyword baked potatoes, broth, carrots, celery, chicken, chowder, coriander, corn, cumin, mashed potatoes, poblano peppers, soup, yellow onion

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 medium yellow onion diced
  • 2 poblano peppers diced
  • 2 carrots peeled and diced
  • 2 ribs celery diced
  • 1 teaspoon coriander
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 1 teaspoon thyme
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
  • 1 1/2 cups milk I used skim
  • 2 medium-sized potatoes diced
  • 2 cups cooked shredded chicken
  • 2 cups corn kernels I used frozen
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • Cayenne pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, peppers, carrots and celery and saute until the vegetables are soft.
  • Add the coriander, cumin, thyme, salt and pepper and flour, and stir to combine. Saute for a couple minutes to cook out the flour taste. Stir in the tomato paste, and then add the broth, milk, potatoes, chicken and corn to the pot.
  • Bring the mixture to a low boil, and then turn the heat down to low and simmer, with a lid on the pot, for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are fork tender.
  • Stir in the lemon juice and cayenne pepper and then serve immediately.

Add as much or as little cayenne as you want to this to control the spice level. Poblano peppers tend to be on the milder side, but if you’re nervous, make sure you remove the ribs and seeds when you dice them up, too.

This had a creamy taste and was a good belly warmer. I actually ended up doubling the recipe so I could store the leftovers as quick weeknight dinners in our freezer.

I was glad to finally get some of my counter space back just in time for all my holiday baking. But I have a feeling that when I’m staring down a mountain of treat containers over the next few weeks, I’ll really miss those potatoes.

This piece first appeared in print on Dec. 23, 2021.

Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.

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