I love stuffed peppers.  I didn’t always, but the I grew up.  And now I do.  I love the sweetness of the pepper, after it roasts.  I seem to always like whatever is stuffed into them.  It always seems to work.  And these Papa Rellena Stuffed Peppers…baby, do they ever work!  I love Papa Rellena (translates to “stuffed potatoes”).  I think all of the Latin cultures make a version of these.  They are basically ground meat-filled mashed potatoes, formed into an orb, covered in bread crumbs and deep-fried.  They are normally eaten at room temperature, and you know how The Goddess like room temp food.  And they tend to be eaten as a snack, anytime of the day, but late in the afternoon…mmmm.  They are the perfect little snack to keep the hunger beast from the door.

These go together quickly, particularly if you have leftover picadillo and leftover mashed potatoes…okay, in a pinch, you could use dehydrated potato flakes and just make up some mashed potatoes.  When you’re choosing pepper to stuff, try to purchase ones that will stand up evenly.  To clean a pepper, cut the top off, and remove the core, ribs and seeds.  Spoon the picadillo into the peppers, filling them about two-thirds full.  Pack the mixture  slightly.  Season the mashed potatoes with garlic and onion granules.  Spoon about 1/2 cup of the mashed potato on top of the picadillo filling, pushing it to the edges and sealing the filling in the pepper.  Sprinkle with the pepper flakes, if using.  Place the filled peppers in an oven-proof dish (a skillet works great).  You can stop right here, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate them overnight.  Tomorrow, preheat the oven and continue with the recipe.  It will take a bit longer, closer to 45 minutes to bake, because everything is chilled.  But, if you’re planning on them for dinner tonight, combine the panko crumbs and olive oil; I use my finger to mix until the crumbs are coated with oil.  I sprinkle the crumb mixture evenly over the potatoes, using my now messy fingers.  Pour about 3/4 cup water around the peppers (not over).  Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the peppers are just tender when pierced with a knife tip and the crumbs are slightly brown.  If the crumbs aren’t brown enough, broil the peppers briefly, about 30 seconds, until they are toasty brown.  Remove from the oven; let stand for 10 minutes before serving.  These hold the heat like crazy.  Enjoy!