Poblano-Stuffed Meatloaf

Recipe courtesy of The Beef Checkoff.

Recipe Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds ground beef
2 large poblano peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded, cut into 1/2-inch thick strips
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup soft bread crumbs
1 large egg
1 large chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup shredded Chihuahua cheese, Monterey Jack cheese or Mexican cheese blend
3 tablespoon adobo sauce

Cooking Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Combine ground beef, onion, bread crumbs, egg, chipotle pepper, salt and black pepper in large bowl, mixing lightly but thoroughly. Divide beef mixture in half. Shape each half into 8x4-inch loaf.
3. Place 1 loaf on rack in broiler pan. Arrange half of the poblano pepper strips lengthwise over loaf, leaving 1/4-inch border around edge. Sprinkle cheese over peppers; top with remaining peppers. Place remaining loaf on top; press edges of loaves together to seal, reshaping loaf if necessary. Brush adobo sauce over top and sides of meatloaf.
4. Bake in 350°F (175°C) oven 1 hour and 10 minutes to 1 hour and 20 minutes, until instant-read thermometer inserted into center registers 160°F (71.1°C).
5. Let stand 10 minutes. Cut into slices.

Makes 6 servings.

Tip: To roast poblano peppers, arrange seeded pepper halves, skin side up, on large sheet of aluminum foil. Place on broiler rack so surface of peppers is 3 to 4-inch from heat. Broil 12 to 15 minutes or until skin is blackened. Fold aluminum foil over peppers to enclose. Let stand 5 minutes Remove and discard blackened skins from peppers.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/6 of recipe): Calories: 322; Total Fat: 2g; Saturated Fat: 8g; Cholesterol: 122mg; Total Carbs: 1g; Fiber: 1g; Protein: 26g; Sodium: 2119mg.

Recipe and photograph courtesy of The Beef Checkoff.