Chiles en Nogada, or “chiles in nut sauce,” is a classic Mexican dish consisting of roasted poblano chilies stuffed with picadillo, a spiced ground meat mixture, and topped with walnut cream sauce and pomegranate seeds. Picadillo is generally made with ground pork, but this version is made with ground dark meat turkey, which is less dry than white meat and a lot more flavorful. I’ve tried making this with white meat and all I can say about that is “yikes!” While dark meat picadillo is so flavorful it’s practically impossible to stop eating, the white meat version was so bland and dry I couldn’t give it away. Use dark meat. Pomegranate seeds are in season only for a short time in the fall and early winter. If you can’t find them, skip them. I make a nut cream from ground walnuts, which makes this dairy-free. If you want to skip that step and dairy isn’t an issue, plop some sour cream on top of the meat and call it a day. <br /> <br />I make a big batch when I make picadillo, because I love leftovers. My favorite way to eat leftover picadillo is with steamed brown rice, black beans, and sour cream. <br /> <br />Excerpted with permission from Bowls of Plenty (Grand Central Life & Style, 2017).

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