Mexican food holds a special place in my heart because when I first became vegetarian as a teenager my Mexican sister in law was the one to start teaching me how to cook plant based meals. I did not grow up in a food centric home, so seeing her passion about food really inspired me. I have such a clear memory of the first time she made an “off the cob” version of Elote that I went home and tried to duplicate the process with every vegetable in the house. Spoiler alert, most vegetables are delicious when you cook them with salty cheese, fresh herbs and lime juice.
If you are unfamiliar with Elote its a Mexican street corn dish usually sold by street vendors. It’s consists of boiled corn covered in mayonnaise, queso fresco, lime juice, cilantro and chili powder. It’s simple perfection. If you haven’t tried it in its classic form you can try the “My Latin Table” recipe here. It’s truly delectible and sure to be a show stopper at your next BBQ.
So now that I have claimed my love for the original dish, I’ll tell you about this one (Took me long enough didn’t it). I had a craving for elote and was thinking about ways I could turn the side dish/snack into a main dish and I thought what better way than to stuff it into another vegetable. I’m not really sure why this makes it a main dish but we all agree that a chili relleno and stuffed peppers are main dishes so I figured lets go for it and boy did it deliver. The creamy sweet filling pairs perfectly with the slightly spicy pepper and the smokey chili powder. Its a match made in heaven so let’s jump into it.
Elote Stuffed Poblanos
Ingredients
- 4 poblano Peppers
- 1.5 Tbsp olive oil (Plus more to rub the poblanos)
- 1 onion diced
- 3 ears corn
- 1.5 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup cream cheese
- 2 Tbsp water
- 1/2 cup queso fresco
Instructions
- Turn your oven onto broil. Rub 4 poblanos in olive oil and place under the broiler for 5-10 minutes, turning every 2-3 minutes. They are done when the skin is black and charred. Remove them from the oven and place in a bowl. Cover with a plate or a lid to let them steam.
- Next heat 1.5 tbsp olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onions and let sautée until translucent.
- While the onions are cooking cut the corn off the cob. Once the onions are translucent (about 5 minutes) add the corn and let cook an additional 2-3 minutes. Season with salt, and chili powder.
- Turn the heat to low and add the cream cheese and water. Continue stirring with a wooden spoon until the cream cheese has melted and coated the corn and onions. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Once the poblanos have cooled down remove the chard skin. It should easily peal right off. Slice the pepper down the middle from the stem to the edge on one side. Remove the seeds with a spoon and fill each pepper with the corn filling. Top each pepper with a tbsp of queso fresco and place in the oven at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.
- To serve the peppers top each one with queso fresco, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime juice. I recommend serving these with refried beans and rice.
Looking for another vegetarian dinner idea? Try this Vegetarian Banh Mi, or these 7 layer quesadillas perfect for a weeknight dinner!
