Quinoa Stuffed Poblanos

I get love all the recipes that I test and post here, but this one made me especially excited. I’ve been making the “Mexican quinoa” filling for these poblanos for years. I generally have all the ingredients on hand for the filling in the pantry and can quickly whip it together for a dinner when I didn’t have anything planned. The quinoa packs enough protein to fill you up and with a simple salad on the side you’re sure to be satisfied.

I knew that the quinoa would make a great filling for poblano peppers and I was right! Lleyton enjoyed the filling by itself to cut out the heat. Generally we try to eat meatless in our house at least two nights a week, and we do this for a few reasons. First, it’s healthier. People tend to eat much more meat than is in a “serving size,” which means they’re too full to eat the vegetables and whole grains that their body also needs. Second, it’s generally cheaper. Assuming you’re buying your produce in-season, I find that plant-based dishes are typically less expensive to make than meat dishes. Finally, I feel like I run better and have more energy when I’m fueling my body with plant-based protein sources. Eating meat a few nights a week and getting our protein from quinoa, lentils, or beans the rest of the nights seems to work well for our whole family! I will say that we LOVE meat and we definitely would never cut it out completely. But if you’re looking to cut some costs on your grocery bill and get some more vegetables and whole grains into your life, cutting meat out a few nights a week might help!

Anyways, back to this recipe. You won’t even miss the meat! The hearty filling of quinoa, black beans, corn, and tomatoes is delicious stuffed into poblanos and covered with cheese. You can even omit the cheese if you’d like to make this dish vegan. Topped with fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice, you’re sure to love this dish.