Chiles en Nogada (Stuffed Poblano peppers in Nogada Sauce)

Chiles en nogada is a traditional Mexican dish consisting of roasted poblano peppers stuffed with ground meat, fruits, and spices, topped with a creamy walnut sauce, and garnished with pomegranate seeds and parsley.
This is one of the most iconic and delicious dishes to celebrate Mexico’s Independence Eve on September 15th.
The colors of the dish, green, white, and red, are said to represent the Mexican flag. Chiles en nogada is not only visually stunning but also incredibly delicious!

Ingredients:

• 8 large poblano peppers
• 1 lb of mixed ground pork & beef
• 400 gr of smoked gouda
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium onion peeled and cut into pieces.
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 garlic cloves peeled
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground oregano
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp of chicken broth
• 4 large tomatoes
• Tomato paste
• 1/2 cup of chopped almonds
• 1 cup of assorted dried fruit (raisins only if you like them)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 cup of chopped walnuts
• 200 gr. of cream cheese
• 1 cup Heavy cream
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons of brown sugar
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 pomegranate (remove seeds and wash them)
• Fresh parsley, chopped

Preparation:

• Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the poblano peppers on the baking sheet and roast them for about 15 minutes, turning occasionally, until the skins are blistered and charred. Remove from the oven and let them cool slightly.

• While the peppers are cooling, prepare the stuffing. In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened and fragrant. Add the ground meat to the skillet and cook until browned, breaking it up with a wooden spoon.
• In a blender add the tomatoes and the rest of the onions and garlic. Add a small amount of water to help you blend all the ingredients in a sauce.
• Add this sauce to the ground meat stir, and add the rest of the spices (cinnamon, oregano, chicken broth powder).

• Add the dried fruit and the chopped nuts to the skillet, mix well with the meat, and keep cooking at medium-low heat.

• Cook for another 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld, add 2 tablespoons of tomato paste, let it simmer for 5 more minutes, then taste the sauce and rectify the seasoning adding more salt or pepper if needed.
• Once the meat stuffing sauce is thick and has a velvety texture, remove from heat and set aside.
• Carefully peel the charred skin off the roasted poblano peppers and make a lengthwise slit on one side, being careful not to cut all the way through. Remove the seeds and membranes from the peppers.
• To prepare the nogada sauce, blend the walnuts, heavy cream, cream cheese, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a blender until you have a smooth sauce. Adjust the seasoning to taste.
• Carefully stuff the peppers with some smoked cheese, then add some of the ground meat stuffing, don’t overflow them, you can leave some space so you can add extra cheese.

• Serve your stuffed chilis warm on an extended plate, and bathe with the nogada sauce until all the chili skin is covered in sauce. Sprinkle the pomegranate seeds as a garnish all over the sauce, then finally add some chopped parsley as decoration (you can also use some big parsley leaves to add more presentation).

Help us keep the tradition of this fabulous dish enjoying time with your family and friends. Don’t forget some Tequila for the celebrations! VIVA MEXICO!