Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Panko Bread Crumbs

Penzey's Spices is one of my favorite companies and I recently ordered a package of their dried (red) ancho peppers. They are dried poblano peppers. The anchos were rehydrated in a bowl of boiling water, rinsed, seeded, and dried off to prep them for this recipe. The peppers are slightly spicy and have a hint of cumin. After baking, the peppers turn sweeter and have crispy edges. The texture is similar to a sun-dried tomato. Of course, the cheese is delicious and the Panko bread crumbs are the best--nice and brown and crunchy.

4 rehydrated, dried ancho chili peppers

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Cumin, chili powder, & garlic powder to taste

Panko bread crumbs for topping

Preheat oven to 400.

Add cumin, chili powder, and garlic powder to the shredded cheese and mix. 

Carefully slice the peppers on one side to make an opening for the stuffing. 

Stuff each pepper with cheese mixture and put a toothpick through the peppers to hold them together. Sprinkle the tops of the stuffed peppers with Panko bread crumbs to cover. 

Bake at 400 for 20 minutes. Remove toothpicks and serve. 

Before and after photos: