Dried porcini mushrooms add a rich depth of flavor to the dish, but if you’d rather, fresh mushrooms can be substituted. Dice them and sauté them along with the other veggies.

6 medium poblano peppers
1 cup water
1/2 tsp salt, divided
1/2 cup dried porcini mushrooms, crushed (about 1/2 ounce)
2/3 cups uncooked bulgur
2 tsp butter
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/3 cup finely chopped celery
1/3 cup finely chopped carrot
1 garlic clove, minced
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper

For the cheese sauce:
1 1/2 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cups 1% low fat milk
4 oz 2% sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

1. Bring 1 cup of water and 1/4 tsp. salt to a boil in a small saucepan. Stir in mushrooms, cover, remove from heat, and let stand 10 minutes.
2. Cut a small slice lengthwise off the side of each pepper. Finely chop the slices and set aside. Scoop out all of the seeds and membrane, leaving a shell for stuffing.
3. Uncover pan; bring mushroom mixture to a boil. Stir in bulgur; cover, remove from heat, and let stand 30 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Spoon bulgur mixture into a large bowl.
4. Heat butter and oil in a large non stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped poblano, onion, celery, carrot, and garlic to pan; sauté 7 minutes or until tender and lightly browned. Add bulgur to vegetable mixture; cool slightly. Stir in 1/2 tsp. salt and pepper.
5. Make the cheese sauce. In a large, heavy saucepan melt the 1 1/2 Tbsp. butter. Whisk in the flour and cook one minute. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth, then the milk. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Lower the heat to low and stir in the cheese until melted. Add the cayenne, salt, and pepper to taste. Stir 1/2 cup of the cheese sauce into the bulgur mixture. Turn off the heat on the cheese sauce, and cover to keep warm.
6. Preheat the oven to 400°.
7. Divide the stuffing evenly between the pepper shells, mounding to fit. Place the peppers in a lightly greased 9″ pie pan and add about 1/3 cup water to the bottom of the dish. Cover, and bake 45 minutes, then uncover and bake another 10 minutes or so to brown. Re-warm the cheese sauce over low heat if needed.
8. To serve, place one pepper on each plate and cover with one sixth of the cheese sauce. Serve immediately.

Servings: 6