Rocoto Rellenos

Ingredients:

6 fresh rocoto chiles (or substitute jumbo jalapenos)
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tsp. roasted, ground peanuts
2 tsp. raisins
1/2 cup chopped, cooked carrots
1 hard-cooked egg, chopped
1/2 cup cooked peas
3 small potatoes, boiled, peeled, and diced
1/4 cup milk
3 eggs
1 cup grated mozzarella or muenster cheese
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preheat an oven to 350F.

Cut the top off each chile, remove the seeds and the membranes and save the tops.

Brown the ground beef and onion in a skillet, breaking up any large clumps of beef. Add the peanuts, raisins, carrots, hard-cooked egg and peas, and cook for 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Fill each rocoto with the meat mixture and cover with the rocoto tops. Place the potatoes in a lightly greased pan and arrange the filled rocotos on top.

Beat the milk and eggs in a separate bowl and pour over the rocotos. Sprinkle the cheese around the rocotos and bake for 10 minutes.

Serves 4-6.

Recipe from Chile Pepper Magazine, October 1996.