Inspiration: While I love drawing recipes from all sources – all over the internet, cookbooks, TV chefs, my head – sometimes one of the best places to go to for recipes is our childhoods or our families. There’s just nothing like a recipe that my Mom made for me when I was a kid or that Brandon can remember eating for as long as he can remember. Food with memories attached is just the best. This recipe comes from Brandon’s Mom, and for me, it speaks of warm summer evenings at their cabin in the mountains and the time in my life when I was first dating Brandon nearly a dozen years ago, learning the ins and outs of his family. This was actually one of the first recipes that I posted on the blog, and needless to say, it needed a serious revamp.

What We Loved: Spicy peppers and salsa, ground beef flavored with taco seasoning, and gooey cheddar cheese are simply a fantastic combination. Those ingredients are the stuff of tacos and enchiladas and quesadillas – everything that I think of when I want something Mexican and cheesy for dinner. The salsa that we use for these is Brandon’s Mom’s homemade salsa, and it is spicy, so we really love the great spicy bite that comes from both that salsa and the peppers themselves. A cooling dollop of sour cream and/or guacamole to go along is the perfect complement. And really, I don’t think that you can ever go wrong with seasoned beef and cheese. Rich, gooey, cheesy, delicious.

Tips: Ground turkey is also great with these if you prefer that over ground beef. And the accompaniments that you can use are endless. I like sour cream, guacamole, and cilantro, but in the past we’ve used chopped tomatoes, shredded lettuce, Mexican rice, etc.

Stuffed Hot Peppers
Source: Brandon’s Mom
Serves: About 4

10 Anaheim peppers
1 lb ground beef
Chili powder
Paprika
Oregano
Ground cumin
Ground coriander
Garlic powder
Kosher salt
About 1 cup of tomato-based salsa
8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Sour cream, guacamole, and cilantro, to garnish

1. Slice each pepper in half, and remove the ribs and seeds. Place the peppers cut-side up in two baking dishes.

2. Saute the ground beef until cooked through. Add a splash of water and season generously with chili powder, paprika, oregano, cumin, coriander, garlic powder, and salt.

3. Fill each pepper with a scoop of the ground beef mixture, and then top each with a scoop of salsa.

4. Cover the dishes with foil, and bake in a 400 degree oven for 25 minutes.

5. Remove the foil from the dishes. Sprinkle the peppers with the cheddar cheese and return to the oven for about 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted.

6. Serve with sour cream, guacamole, and cilantro.