Poblano Peppers stuffed with a mixture of ground pork and Mexican queso fresco and baked in a mild enchilada sauce.

2 large poblano peppers
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 cup finely diced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
8 ounces ground pork
2 tablespoons taco seasoning mix
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes,or to taste
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 ounces queso fresco, divided
1 10-oz can enchilada sauce
2/3 cup V-8 vegetable juice, optional

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut a small wedge-shaped opening the length of each pepper, leaving the
stem and tip intact to form a boat. Carefully remove the seeds and
membranes, which contain most of the heat. Finely dice the removed slice.
3. In a skillet, heat the olive oil and cook the diced poblano with the onion
until they are beginning to soften, then stir in the garlic and cook a
minute longer.
4. Crumble in the ground pork and season all with the taco seasoning and
salt. Add the red pepper flakes if desired. Cook and stir until the pork
has browned.
5. Remove from the heat and stir in the cream cheese until melted. Crumble
and stir in 2 ounces of queso fresco, setting the remaining ounce of queso
fresco aside for later.
6. In an 8-inch baking dish, combine the enchilada sauce and V-8 juice. (For
a thicker sauce, omit the V-8 juice. For a child-mild sauce, leave it
in.)
7. Stuff each pepper with half of the pork mixture and place in the baking
dish. Baste with some of the sauce, cover, and bake for 40 minutes.
8. After 40 minutes, remove the cover and again baste the peppers with the
sauce. Sprinkle each with the remaining crumbled queso fresco. Return to
the oven and bake, uncovered, for another 20 minutes, or unti the peppers
are softened and the cheese has melted.

Servings: 2