We both enjoy chiles rellenos (S in particular – more often than not, she’ll get one when we hit up a Mexican restaurant). I grew some Anaheim chiles this year for the express purpose of stuffing them with cheese, but as with much of the rest of the garden, they didn’t quite perform to expectation. The plants grew well, but didn’t set any fruit until very late in the year, so I only got a handful of peppers. In fact, the five I picked for this recipe were the extent of it.
For anyone who’s ever made chiles rellenos, you know it’s kind of a labor-intensive process, what with the charring, then peeling, stuffing, coating, and frying. Really tasty, but it takes some effort. I’m not really in the mood for that kind of effort right now, but we had these peppers that I didn’t want to go to waste, so the next best option was to throw everything into one dish and make a casserole. Genius.
Chile Relleno Casserole
- Diced chiles – you can do as I did, and cut up some poblano-types, while other recipes called for canned chiles (8 oz)
- Shredded cheese – variety and quantity is up to you; I used a block of Monterey Jack, since I couldn’t find queso blanco
- Tomato sauce – this was my addition; you can use a can, or I had about a half dozen paste tomatoes ripe, which I cooked until they were saucy
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1/2 cup flour
As you can see, the recipe is very simple. Mix the eggs, milk, and flour (and a pinch of salt) in a bowl and set aside. Grease a 6 x 9 inch baking dish. Layer the chiles, batter, and cheese until you’re out. I got two layers of each, and threw the tomato sauce in the middle. Bake at 350 F for about 50 minutes, let cool, and enjoy! The goodness of chiles rellenos with minimal effort.
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