Thread: What is the best way to cook fresh chilis for stuffed peppers?

I want to make homemade chili rellanos and I'm not sure how to first cook my peppers. I have an electric stove so I can't even roast them over a flame. Can you help?

Baked Chili Rellenos

6 Poblano or Anaheim chilis
At least 8 ounces Pepper Jack Cheese (or regular Monterey Jack)
At least 8 ounces Cheddar cheese (mild, sharp, or extra sharp)
1 can of red Enchilada Sauce
2 tablespoons white vinegar
Bowl of water large enough to hold peppers
Yellow or Spanish Rice for serving

Preheat broiler & roast peppers - turning occasionally - until thoroughly blistered all over. Remove peppers & place in a tightly closed paper or plastic bag for 15-20 minutes. Remove peppers from bag & gently peel blistered skin off (doing this under cold running water is sometimes helpful). Leaving the stem on, gently make a vertical slit down one side of each pepper & ease out the seeds. Place the roasted/peeled/seeded peppers in a bowl of cold water to which 2 tablespoons of white vinegar has been added. Set aside.

Preheat oven down to 350 degrees.

Make rice according to package directions & set aside.

Grate cheeses & mix together.

In a baking dish large enough to hold all the peppers, spread about 1/2 the Enchilada Sauce in the bottom. Remove peppers one by one from their water bath, stuff with cheese, & place in baking dish. Drizzle remaining Enchilada Sauce over top of peppers & sprinkle any leftover cheese over the top.

Bake in 350-degree oven for 20-30 minutes or until cheese is melted & peppers are heated through. Serve on top of yellow or Spanish rice.

Alternative: Stuff peppers with a combination of cooked ground meat (beef, chicken, or turkey) combined with taco or enchilada sauce & some grated cheese. One pound of meat will easily stuff 6 or more peppers, & any leftover meat can be sprinkled over the top of the stuffed peppers or saved for another use.)

Make a slit with the tip of a paring knife in the pepper at the cap.
Place the oil in a deep saucepan and heat to a temperature of 375F.

Have a bowl of ice water handy.

Fry the peppers a few at a time for about 1 minute, or until the skin is blistered all over. Remove with tongs, and plunge into the ice water.

You normally would not need to precook them because you will stuff them and then bake them off. If you want to soften them up a little just blanch them in boiling water until just soft.