Let’s Cook Something New: Stuffed Hatch Chili Peppers

My husband recently brought a new type of chili pepper home from the grocery store. I love to cook with new foods and so this gave me a chance to learn about Hatch chili peppers. I learned that these medium-size peppers are grown exclusively in New Mexico. They ripen in August and September and thus are available for only a few months in the fall. The peppers have a “bite” but they are not as hot as a jalapeno pepper. They have thick flesh and can be broiled to remove the skin. These chili peppers are large enough to easily be stuffed for an entrée dish and have a pleasing, chili pepper flavor. So, let’s make “Stuffed Hatch Chili Peppers” with these delightful peppers. I made two “fillings”: ground beef and also shrimp with corn and cheese. Recipes are included for both.

And I am satisfied with how my “Louisiana” variation on traditional New Mexican recipes turned out. These peppers were easy to peel and stuff. Best of all, I liked the flavor of the Hatch chili peppers– not too, too strong but the peppers had some “bite” and enough flesh so that the chili pepper complemented the filling and stood out. And I found that these peppers were well-suited for an entrée; they were a bit too large for an appetizer, in my opinion.

What are Hatch Chili Peppers?

Hatch chili peppers are grown exclusively in the Hatch Valley of New Mexico. The peppers are very popular in this region and are becoming more popular across the states as the rest of us learn about them. In fact, an annual Hatch Chili Festival occurs each Labor Day weekend in the community of Hatch, drawing a large gathering. The term “Hatch Pepper” is actually a generic term for a several varieties of this pepper. These peppers were developed at New Mexico State University beginning in 1894 as researchers tried to develop a better pod-type chili pepper for this region which was larger, smoother and better for canning. The first variety, New Mexico No. 9, was released in 1913, and all our Hatch chili peppers have this genetic background.

Hatch chili peppers can be chopped and eaten raw as a crisp pepper. They can be added to stews, soups, sauces or added to a salad. They work very well as a stuffed pepper. Their “hot” rating is generally about one-third of a jalapeno pepper, however, occasional varieties are much hotter. If you don’t have Hatch chili peppers available, then Anaheim peppers can be substituted. Here are my Hatch chili peppers which are stuffed with shrimp, corn and cheese.

Recipes for “Stuffed Hatch Chili Peppers”

Although many types of fillings work with Hatch chili peppers, I decided first to make a “tried and true” recipe using a ground beef stuffing topped with melted cheese. That recipe turned out great, so I ventured out a little more and also made a shrimp and corn filling. Stuffed Hatch peppers are very similar to recipes for “Chili Relleno Peppers.” However, it is difficult to bread and fry these medium-sized, long and skinny Hatch peppers. Instead, I broiled the peppers to remove the skin, stuffed them and baked in an oven to finish the dish. I suggest using poblano peppers for recipes where the peppers are breaded and fried. Poblano peppers are large enough to accommodate a filling and still be closed up.

Here are the ingredients for my ground beef recipe. I used used ground beef with lots of Mexican-type spices — Ground Ancho Chili (or you could use chili powder), paprika, cumin, salt and pepper. Plus I added just a little tomato paste for flavor, and chopped onion.

Here are these ingredients for my shrimp, corn and cheese filling. Notice that to make things easier, I used frozen corn kernels rather than fresh corn on the cob. And I used frozen, raw peeped shrimp without the tails. These packages of shrimp are easy to find in Louisiana. These were large Hatch peppers. Six peppers weighted about one pound.

For both recipes, I broiled the raw peppers and removed the skin prior to stuffing them. My process for accomplishing this is simple and works every time — and really for any type of pepper. I place the peppers on a foil-covered broiler pan and about six inches from the broiler coils in the top of the oven. After the peppers blister, turn over and continue broiling until the second side blisters. If needed, turn a third time. How long does this take? It really depends on your oven. I turned these over for the first time after about five minutes. When the peppers are blistered on all sides, remove from oven and place in ice water to cool. Using a small knife, make a small slit in only the outside skin. Then easily peel off the outer skin with your hands.

Next, use a small knife and make a lengthwise slit down the pepper. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. Keep on the cap of the pepper.

“Stuffed Hatch Peppers with Ground Beef”

Meanwhile, make the ground beef filling by sautéing the onions and ground beef. When the meat is browned and cooked through, then add a little tomato paste and the seasonings. Generously stuff the peppers. I used about 1/3 to 1/2 cup for each pepper. You won’t be able to close the skins of these skinny peppers.

Bake the peppers until they are nice and bubbly (about 20 minutes) in a 350 degree oven. Then sprinkle on shredded Monterey Jack Cheese (or a Mexican cheese blend) and bake just 3 minutes additional until the cheese melts.

That’s it! This is really an easy recipe to prepare. Leaving the slit in the peppers open — rather than trying to bring the sides up to close them — helps. Two of these peppers make one serving. I served my “Stuffed Hatch Chili Peppers” with rice and garlic okra because we are in Louisiana. Otherwise, serve with refried beans and yellow rice. On the side, I also served sour cream and salsa.

“Stuffed Hatch Peppers with Shrimp, Corn and Cheese”

The process for making the “Stuffed Hatch Peppers with Shrimp, Corn and Cheese” is similar. Prepare the chili peppers in the same manner. Ahead of time defrost the frozen, raw peeked shrimp tails. You can use small-sized shrimp (51-90 count) for this recipe. Then sauté the onions, shrimp and Creole seasoning. Add in corn, bread cubes, green onions, salt and pepper and cheese. Sluff cover and bake.

These shrimp and corn stuffed peppers were very tasty, too.

So, I found two ways to stuff Hatch peppers with other ideas for fillings which looked quite delicious, too. These included recipes using ground pork with corn for a filling and cooked chopped chicken, cheese and egg (for a binder). Next time, I plan to try one of these ideas.

I really liked the taste of these Hatch chili peppers. The were milder in flavor than Poblano peppers but they were still meaty and tasty. Baking the Hatch peppers rather than breading and frying them made preparation very simple and easy.

The season to purchase Hatch peppers is August and September. Now is the time to look for them in grocery stores. Enjoy these Hatch Chili Pepper recipes!

Reference:

Hatch Chile Peppers: All About Them