Stuffed Peppers with Beef, Rice, Spinach and Cheese

Ingredients

• 4 long, mild to medium chile peppers, such as moderate heat poblano or mild Italian cubanelle
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling
• 1 clove garlic, cracked
• 10 ounces triple washed spinach, stems removed and coarsely chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup beef broth or chicken broth
• 3 cups leftover Spanish style beef and rice
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack, smoked cheddar or pepper jack cheese

Directions

Preheat a griddle or grill pan. Seed chile peppers. Drizzle peppers with a little oil and grill over medium high to high heat 3 or 4 minutes on each side, until tender. Transfer peppers to a broiler pan or baking sheet, hollow side up.

Place a small skillet on the stove top and add 1 tablespoon, 1 turn of the pan, olive oil and a crushed clove of garlic. Heat over medium flame and add spinach in bunches until it is all wilted and is giving off liquid. Season greens with salt and pepper. Remove spinach and drain. Set aside.

Preheat broiler to high.

Defrost beef and rice in microwave oven. Combine 1/2 cup broth and defrosted rice in the skillet you cooked the spinach in and reheat over medium flame. Add 1 cup tomato sauce and heat through.

Pile spinach and hot beef and tomato rice into peppers, mounding them up in the center of each pepper. Top liberally with grated cheese and melt cheese under broiler 3 to 5 minutes, then serve.