Bananas for Banana Peppers

G loves bananas almost as much as Bananas Gorilla, one of our favorite characters from the Richard Scarry Busytown books. Last week in the CSA we received some beautiful banana peppers that I wasn’t quite sure how I wanted to use. I tasted one and it was very, very mild, akin to a bell pepper. Still I was pulling a blank on a creative way to cook all (there were 8) bananas peppers in a way that might, just maybe, appeal to a 3 and 6 year old palate. A day or two later I was preparing to make some black bean and corn tostadas when it dawned on me: stuff the banana peppers with the tostada filling and make stuffed banana peppers. It worked! Since my boys love just about any Mexican inspired dish, these stuffed banana peppers were a big hit. You could use this filling for any good mild pepper, just be sure to taste any pepper before you serve it to your child, as certain peppers, such as poblanos, can range from quite mild to pretty darn zesty. Also, removing the seeds and inside veins will reduce the heat on any pepper. Stuffed Banana Peppers 8 banana peppers, seeds and veins removed 1 - 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained 1/2 cup (or so) corn 1/4 cup red onion, diced 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper 1/4 cup salsa 1/4 cup barbecue sauce 16 thin slices of cheddar or colby jack cheese Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice each pepper and remove the seeds and veins. Place on a baking sheet, skin side down. In a large bowl mix the black beans, corn, onion, cilantro, cumin, salt, pepper, salsa and barbecue sauce. Fill each pepper to heaping. Bake for 15-20 minutes (total time will depend on the size of the pepper). Top each with a small slice of cheese, return to the oven for 1-2 minutes or until the cheese melts. Let cool and enjoy! Serves 4. SPC
Tags