Who says you always have to follow the rules? Better yet, who even makes the rules? They’re more like guidelines anyway, right? Yes, there are many kitchen rules that I strongly believe in following; don’t overcrowd your pan; vent your blender for hot food; check your oven before preheating it. But when it comes to flavor, there are no rules, and that’s when the fun can really start! 

Many of our flavor conventions and rules are developed through tradition. Traditional recipes are reliable because they’ve been tried and tested for generations. The recipes have been refined and perfected; they made the cut and have stuck around because they are worthy. So what happens when you take two separate traditions and fuse them together? You get something new that still benefits from all those centuries of experience, and honors both cuisines from which it came. 

These cheesy peppers are not the rice and meat stuffed–bell peppers that you so often see. Instead, we take a page out of the book of chile rellenos, a Mexican cheese-stuffed chile pepper that is battered and fried; and combine it with an enticing Italian flavor profile. Like many chile relleno recipes, this recipe uses poblano peppers, a mild chile pepper. Unlike most chile relleno recipes, these peppers are not battered and fried. So if I had to properly describe these delicious envelopes of cheese, I would say that they’re oven-roasted cheese-stuffed poblanos with spices reminiscent of Italian sausage — two separate culinary traditions that feel right at home together. 

Food For Thought

The concept of fusion cuisine is all a matter of perspective. There is no style of cuisine today that wasn’t at some point influenced by another. This is because no civilization ever developed in complete isolation. Whether it was competition with a neighboring state, or trade routes connecting opposite ends of the globe, civilizations influenced each other with their ideas, techniques and ingredients. 

For example indigenous Mexican cuisine always featured corn, beans and avocado; but it was the European colonizers who brought livestock and new ingredients that led to the incorporation of cheese and rice, which are ubiquitous in Mexican cuisine today. Likewise, sausage-making was present in Italy since the time of the Romans. Many of the spices used in Italian sausage today are indigenous to the Mediterranean, such as fennel, garlic, oregano and basil. However, it was not until explorers returned from the Americas with peppers that paprika and pepper flakes were introduced. And the kicker, the Italian sausage that you’ll find in the supermarket is our American interpretation anyway — another layer of influence. 

With enough time, what is fusion today may be tradition tomorrow. 

Process

With a few straightforward steps, you can have these cheese-stuffed peppers ready in an hour. Best of all, there’s plenty of inactive time to clean up or prepare an additional side while the peppers are in the oven. 

Preheat the oven to 425 °F. Roast the poblano peppers on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet for 20 minutes. No need for oil, or to cut vents in the peppers. Just wash and dry them, and roast them as they are. 

Meanwhile, if you’re adding italian sausage, cook it in a large non-stick skillet with 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Break the sausage apart into small pieces with the edge of a spatula, and continue cooking until no pink remains. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate to cool and let drain. It is easiest to use ground Italian sausage. You can also remove the casings from whole sausages.

Shred the fontina and cheddar cheese on the large holes of a box grater. In a large mixing bowl combine the cheeses, corn starch, salt, granulated garlic, smoked paprika, nutmeg, thyme, oregano, and fennel seed. Toss together thoroughly, until evenly distributed. If using, add the cooled sausage and mix into the cheese mixture. 

When the peppers are ready, remove them from the oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 400 °F. Carefully cut a vent in the middle of the top surface of each pepper that runs the length of the pepper. Make sure not to cut through the bottom of the pepper. Gently pull the sides of the peppers open slightly to allow them to cool faster. When the peppers are cool enough to handle, gently separate the flesh around the perimeter of the stems. Open the sides of the peppers to lay flat on the baking sheet; and remove the stems, cores and seeds. There is no need to peel the peppers. However, if there are large swaths of skin that are easy to grab, feel free to pull them off. The roasted and cooled peppers can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator. 

Divide the cheese mixture evenly between the peppers. Pile the mixture in the middle of each open pepper. Fold the sides of the peppers back towards the middle so that they overlap, and press to seal. 

Return the peppers to the oven and roast for 20 minutes. Serve with your favorite pasta, polenta, fresh bread, side salad, pork chops, or roast chicken. Garnish with more fresh thyme, grated parmesan, or balsamic reduction. 

What You’ll Need

Rimmed Baking Sheet: In my opinion, one of the most versatile and essential items in any kitchen. Use it for standard baking, roasting, toasting; use it as a drip pan; add a cooling rack and you have a roasting pan; weigh it down and you have a press; flour the back and you have a pizza peel; short on counter space and you have a flat surface that you can move anywhere. No kitchen is complete without two of these rimmed baking sheets. 

Box Grater: You probably have one of these already, but just in case you’re in the market, a sturdy box grater is good for more than just cheese. You can use it for apples, carrots, zucchini, tomatoes, chocolate, or more apples just to name a few other ingredients. 

Wine Pairings

Red

• Carménère: For its mild tannin and notes of pepper.
• Negroamaro: For its dark fruit and herbal flavors.

White

• Chilean Sauvignon Blanc: For its cleansing acidity; green herbal and fennel notes.
• Verdicchio: For its fruity aroma and slick texture.

Notes

• The poblano peppers can be roasted ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator. Continue with the recipe as written when stuffing and finishing the peppers.
• There is no need to peel the peppers, but feel free to if you prefer.  
• If you choose to add Italian sausage, any style will work. My personal preference is mild Italian sausage. 
• Garnish the stuffed peppers with balsamic reduction, fresh thyme, or grated Parmesan. 
• Serve with your favorite pasta, polenta, fresh bread, side salad, pork chops, or roast chicken.

Suggested Recipes

• Balsamic Reduction
• Maple-Dijon Brussels Sprout Slaw
• No-Knead Bread
• Ultimate Pork Ragu