Smoked Meatloaf with Poblano and Cheese Stuffing

smoked meatloaf stuffed with poblano and cheese

Smoked Meatloaf with Poblano and Cheese Stuffing

A 'Texican' flavored meatloaf stuffed with a gooey cheese-filled poblano pepper and basted with spicy enchilada sauce.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 3

Total Time 3 30

Servings

Calories 472kcal

Author Caressa Woodward

Ingredients

1.5 lbs ground beef
8 oz chorizo
½ cup panko bread crumbs
1 small red onion diced
1 can green chilis diced, not drained
4 cloves garlic minced
1 egg beaten
2 tsp Bourbon optional
3 tbsp BBQ rub
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 Poblano peppers ends trimmed off and de-seeded
8 oz Oaxaca cheese cut into strips or grated
12 oz red enchilada sauce

Instructions

Gently combine the beef and chorizo in a large bowl until incorporated evenly. Add all other meatloaf ingredients and gently mix until combined. Don’t overwork the meat mixture.
Slice off the cap/stem of the poblano peppers and remove seeds. Slice off the bottom ½” of the peppers as well. Stuff the peppers with the cheese.
Line your loaf pan with plastic/saran wrap. Make sure there is several inches of overhang on all sides.
Take about 2/3 of your meatloaf mixture and place it in the loaf pan. Gently pat the mixture up all sides of the pan to the very top, and make sure the bottom is evenly distributed.
Place your poblanos into the meatloaf mixture in the loaf pan. Place the wider ends of the poblanos facing one another and gently push together.
Place the remaining meatloaf mixture on top of the poblanos, gently push down, and shape to cover the peppers.
Pull the wrap overhang over the meatloaf, and place it in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, up to 4.
Fire up your smoker to 250℉ degrees.
Remove the meatloaf from refrigerator and pull back the plastic wrap.
Gently turn the meatloaf out onto a greased wire rack or perforated grill pan, lift off the loaf pan, and remove the wrap.
Place the pan on the smoker and let it roll undisturbed for about 45 min to 1 hour.
Baste your meatloaf with the red enchilada sauce every 45 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165℉ degrees. Roughly 2-3 hours.
Remove from the smoker and let rest, covered, for at least 30 minutes to prevent the cheese from running out when sliced.

Notes

If you want to amp up the heat, you can use a can of diced jalapeños or even a can of diced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.

DO NOT skip the refrigeration step. It’s essential to hold the loaf together during the long smoke session. If you’re short on time, just pop the loaf in the freezer for half an hour to 45 minutes so it firms up enough to hold.

What type of wood to use -this recipe is best smoked with a hardwood like mesquite, hickory, or oak.

Nutrition