Chicken Chiles Relleno

I typically shy away from 'creating' my own recipes, and usually go for the tried and true recipes of others. Today I was in the mood for Chiles Relleno and Stuffed Peppers and couldn't make up my mind....so I kind of combined the two. Come to find out, they're the SAME thing...one said in Spanish; the other said in English! My idea of a stuffed pepper is very much based on the way I've always made them (call it American). This is all beside the point. I think they came out really yummy, so here's the recipe! This recipe made enough for 6 - 8 people. You could halve it if you're only cooking for 2 or 3.

Chicken Chiles Relleno

6 peppers (poblano for spicy, bell for UNspicy)
2 cans chicken breast, shredded
2 cups cooked white rice (I made the rice ahead of time, so it was cold)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can green chiles
1/2 onion and 2 cloves garlic, sauteed in olive oil (I did this ahead of time, so it was cold)
8 oz pepper jack cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil. Cool.
In a large bowl, shred chicken breast with 2 forks. Add rice, beans, green chiles, sauteed onion and garlic, and salt and pepper to taste.

Stuff filling into peppers that have been washed, dried, halved and cleared of seeds.
Place cheese on top of each pepper.
Cover with tin foil and bake at 350 for 35 - 40 minutes.
Remove foil and bake another 5ish minutes until cheese is golden.

I don't think it needed the sauce, but I also made this creamy tomato sauce for topping off the peppers:

1 28-oz can tomatoes
1 small onion
2 cloves garlic
1 - 3 jalapenos
1 Tbsp olive oil
salt to taste
dash of cayenne pepper
1/2 cup cream or half and half

Puree the tomatoes, onion, garlic and jalapeno well.
Heat olive oil in saute/sauce pan. Cook puree for 10-15 minutes, so it turns from pink to red.
Add salt to taste, then add the cream and remove from heat.
I only had one jalapeno, so it wasn't very hot. Next time I'll use 3. That's why I added a dash of cayenne pepper.

I forgot to take a finished picture, but they look even yummier with the melted cheese on top!
This is a great recipe to make ahead and refrigerate overnight before popping into the oven.