Coastal Mains
Chicken and Goat Cheese Stuffed Peppers with Spicy Tomato Sauce
The Strategy:
These beautiful bell peppers are stuffed with a savory mixture of shredded chicken, tangy goat cheese, sweet corn, and warm spices. Roast the peppers until tender, top with a homemade spicy chipotle-tomato sauce, and bake until hot and bubbling. It is a vibrant, flavorful dish that is perfect for a colorful family dinner.
Ingredients
- 8 large green, red, yellow or orange bell peppers, cut in half, seeded, veins removed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
- 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
- 1 small white onion, peeled and chopped, about ½ cup
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried cilantro
- 2 small chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, seeded
- 3 large bone-in chicken breasts, roasted, about 6 cups
- 10 ounces goat cheese
- 3 large jalapeño peppers, diced, seeded, veins removed, about ⅓ cup
- 1 (10-ounce) package frozen corn, thawed
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil into the bottom of an 11 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish.
- Place the peppers, cut side up, into the dish.
- Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the peppers and season with salt and pepper.
- Place the dish into the oven and bake the peppers until they just begin to soften, about 20 to 30 minutes.
- Put all of the sauce ingredients into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until smooth.
- Pour the sauce into a pan and simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes to marry the flavors.
- Taste and season with salt and pepper. You can add hot pepper sauce to spice up the sauce even more or a bit of sugar to tame it.
- Pull the skin and bones from the chicken breasts. Use two forks to shred the meat into a bowl. Crumble the goat cheese into the bowl.
- Add the jalapeño peppers, corn, chili powder and cinnamon.
- Season with salt and pepper. Use your hands to gently mush together the filling.
- Mound the stuffing into the peppers. Ladle the sauce over the top.
- Bake until the filling is warmed through, the peppers are soft and the sauce is beginning to bubble, about 20 minutes.
Sunday Best Inspirations
I was inspired to create this dish after a visit (or two or three) to Seasons 52. The food served at this restaurant is delicious, with the added benefit of being healthy. Every item on the menu has less than 475 calories. You might think that once you order, the food will be served in microscopic portions, but that’s not the case at all! Every dish is bountiful and fresh. The menu changes seasonally and is influenced by local ingredients. The stuffed poblano pepper served at Seasons 52 inspired this dish; I just traded the poblano’s spicy tang for a tamer bell pepper, more suitable for a potluck.
The full recipe lives in the Vault
Ingredients, step-by-step method, and every chef-tested detail are reserved for members of the Estate Registry.
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The Heart of the Table
These bright, colorful stuffed peppers sit beautifully on the table, inviting guests to dig into a meal that feels both healthy and decadent. The warm goat cheese and spicy tomato aromas make the gathering feel instantly comforting and festive.
- a seamless, high-heat resistant silicone spatula in a soft slate grey
- pure cotton kitchen twine for secure trussing and styling
- a heavy-gauge, polished stainless steel ladle with an ergonomic handle
- a heavy-duty die-cast aluminum lemon squeezer with an enamel finish
- an instant-read digital meat thermometer with a backlit display
Neighborly Grace
- THE PRESENTATION: Arrange the stuffed peppers on a long ceramic platter, spooning the red sauce over the tops and garnishing with crumbles of extra goat cheese.
- THE POUR: Pair with a crisp, dry Rosé or a sparkling grapefruit-lime water.
- THE VIBE: Sunroom Dining. The bright afternoon light and the colorful peppers create a cheerful, lively mood for a casual family gathering.
