While I love a good chile relleno that is stuffed with cheese, it can become a bit heavy and feel unhealthy. That’s why I’m proud of this butternut squash stuffed poblano recipe. It is healthy, satisfying, and super delicious. The butternut squash adds a rich sweetness, while the red quinoa helps to make it more nutritious and filling. To be honest, I am not a fan of the flavor of red quinoa. It is very bitter and strong, which was why it was prefect to mask its flavor in all the cumin and spices for this filling.
How to Make a Butternut Squash Stuffed Poblano
- Roast your poblano ahead of time. This helps to develop good flavor.
- After roasting your poblano, allow it to steam in its own heat to make skin removal easy. Remove seeds, but keep stem on for structure. Otherwise, your roasted poblano will fall apart
- Cook butternut squash and ingredients for your filling separately.
- Stuff your roasted poblano generously with filling.
- Top generously with cheese and enjoy!
How to Roast Butternut Squash
The easiest way to cook a butternut squash is to split it in half length-wise. Remove all the seeds. Then place the squash skin side up on a baking sheet with a little oil on the bottom to prevent sticking. Roast at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 hour. The squash will be tender and easy to scoop right out of the skin.
Is a Poblano the Same as Chile Pasilla?
Yes! They are different names for the same chile.
For other Mexican-inspired recipes, check out my easy shrimp ceviche and Mexican albondigas.
Butternut Squash Stuffed Poblano
Ingredients
Roasted Poblano Chiles
- 4 large poblano chiles
Steamed Red Quinoa
- 1/2 cup uncooked red quinoa
- 1 cup water
Roasted Butternut Squash
- 1/2 butternut squash medium size
- 1 tbsp canola oil
Picadillo Filling
- 1/2 lb ground beef
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp adobo or taco seasoning
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 1/4 cup queso fresco
Instructions
Roasted Butternut Squash
- Cut butternut squash in half length-wise. Remove seeds. Brush flesh of butternut squash with oil. Roast 1/2 butternut squash skin side up in a 400 degree oven for 1 hour. Afterward, allow to cool and remove squash from the skin. Set aside.
Roasted Poblano Pepper
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place poblano peppers on a baking sheet. Roast poblano chiles for minutes. Then placed peppers in a covered bowl to allow the skins to steam for easy removal.
- When peppers have cooled, make a vertical cut on the top of each pepper from the stem to the tip. Do not cut through because you will need the peppers whole to stuff them. Remove skin and seeds. Set aside.
Steamed Red Quinoa
- Place quinoa and water in a covered saucepan. Bring water to a boil, then set to low and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes with lid on. Allow quinoa to become tender and for excess water to evaporate. Set cooked quinoa aside.
Picadillo Filling
- Heat a large skillet on high. Add in ground beef and sprinkle salt on top of beef. Brown beef for 5 minutes. Then add in diced onion, tomato paste, garlic, cumin, adobo/taco seasoning, and salt. Saute another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Then add roasted butternut squash, cooked red quinoa, salt, and shredded Monterey Jack cheese. Taste for seasoning and add salt, taco seasoning, and cumin as needed.
Stuffing the Peppers
- Add 1/4 of the butternut squash filling mix into each roasted pepper. Top with crumbled queso fresco and serve warm.
