Chorizo chicken sausage was recently on sale, so I decided to make a filling with it that included corn, cheese, black beans and other goodies to stuff some bell peppers, which were also on sale. I’ve been experimenting to get this filling just right, and Brad said that by using chorizo instead of kielbasa and adding some cilantro and a can of mixed tomatoes and green chiles, I hit on the perfect combination!

I knew I would have leftover filling since I only stuffed 3 large peppers, but I did that on purpose to make some loaded nachos the next day so we wouldn’t get tired of leftovers. Great call — with the addition of a few extra ingredients (black olives, jarred jalapenos, and a jar of salsa and queso cheese), it was like a completely different meal.

Ingredients (Serves 2-4)

• 2 ears of corn
• 12 oz. chorizo (casings removed)
• 3-4 bell peppers (I like to use a combination of green and red)
• 1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 can (10 oz.) diced tomatoes and green chilies (I use Ro-tel)
• ½ cup diced Vidalia (or other sweet) onion
• ½ cup salsa
• Cilantro, to taste (optional)
• Sea salt, to taste
• Hot sauce, to taste

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Boil corn until tender, about 8-10 minutes. Let cool, and remove kernels from the cob.

Meanwhile, slice the sausage into small pieces and cook over medium heat, breaking up the chorizo as it browns. Drain on paper towels.

Slice off the tops of the peppers, remove the seeds and membranes, and slice lengthwise. Place in a casserole dish.

Place black beans in a large bowl. Add the corn, chorizo, 6 ounces of the cheddar cheese and the rest of the ingredients.

Stir until well-blended and spoon the mixture into the peppers.

Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the peppers from oven and top with the remaining cheese.

Return to the oven and bake for 5-10 minutes, until the cheese has melted. Don’t these look awesome!

Now, on to the nachos. I just spread some tortilla chips on my PC round stone, placed some of the filling on top, and then added some sliced black olives, jalapenos and queso on top of that, and then repeated the process.

Bake this in a preheated 375 degree F oven for about 10 minutes, until the cheese is a wonderful ooey-gooey-melty mess. Serve with salsa and sour cream (optional.) Guacamole would be great as well! And don’t forget the margaritas!

Bon appétit!

Eat, drink and be merry!

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