Cheese and Shrimp-Stuffed Poblanos

This was good. A little tedious to make. I helped D prep everything.
I couldn't find chihuahua cheese, so we used Monterrey Jack with Jalapenos. Also we didn't stuff the peppers because after roasting, they were all soft. So we open faced the peppers.

Our only complaint was it was hard to keep everything hot at the same time.

We had yellow rice and black beans.

The next morning, we chopped the peppers and added eggs. Yum.

Cheese and Shrimp-Stuffed Poblanos

Chihuahua cheese, a Mexican melting cheese, enriches and slightly thickens this creamy sauce. Substitute shredded cheddar cheese if you can't find Chihuahua.

Yield: 4 servings

1 red bell pepper
8 poblano peppers
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/2 cup half-and-half
3/4 cup fat-free milk, divided
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Chihuahua cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1. Preheat broiler.

2. Cut bell pepper in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place bell pepper halves, skin sides up, and whole poblanos on a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil 10 minutes or until blackened, turning poblanos to blacken all sides. Place peppers in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 10 minutes. Peel. Finely chop bell peppers. Cut tops crosswise from poblanos; remove seeds.

3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Sprinkle shrimp with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add shrimp to pan; cook 3 minutes or until done. Remove from pan.

4. Add garlic to pan; sauté 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Sprinkle with flour and ground red pepper; cook 1 minute. Slowly add half-and-half, stirring with a whisk. Stir in 1/2 cup milk; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; let stand 2 minutes. Add cheese and 1/4 teaspoon salt, stirring until smooth. Place 1/3 cup cheese mixture in a large bowl; reserve remaining cheese mixture. Add bell pepper, shrimp mixture, cilantro, and juice to 1/3 cup cheese mixture in bowl; toss to coat. Stir 1/4 cup fat-free milk into reserved cheese mixture. Spoon 3 tablespoons cheese sauce onto each of 4 plates. Spoon 6 tablespoons shrimp mixture into each poblano. Place 2 stuffed poblanos and two tops on each plate.

CALORIES 376 ; FAT 18.7g (sat 7.5g,mono 8g,poly 1.9g); CHOLESTEROL 206mg; CALCIUM 306mg; CARBOHYDRATE 20.2g; SODIUM 649mg; PROTEIN 32.9g; FIBER 2.1g; IRON 4.4mg

Cooking Light, JANUARY 2010