The Heat Is On! 20 Recipes For Chile Peppers

What would we do without hot peppers? They add so much to many dishes, from Mexican to Thai. Originating from South America, hot chile peppers made their way back to Europe by way of Columbus. Eventually Asia got in on the action and chiles became favorable worldwide. Capsaicin, the substance that gives chiles their intensity, is also the stuff that's made into pepper spray. Luckily not all peppers are made equal, which is great, because there's a level for everyone, whether you like yours mild, medium, or blazing hot.

Attention chile heads! We've got a collection of recipes for you. All these dishes use chile peppers in varying heats, from the fairly mild Cubanelle to the scorching habanero. You'll find chiles rellenos, jalapeno poppers, red-hot pepper jelly, and sausage and peppers. Find out your heat tolerance level with one of the recipes below.