Chile Relleno Casserole
I have had many a chile relleno in my life, but it wasn’t until the past couple years that I was introduced to the chile relleno casserole! While I love both, I think I tend to prefer the chile relleno casserole, for the simple ease of preparation. It is much easier to layer and bake a chile relleno casserole, than it is to stuff, batter and deep fry chile rellenos!
This recipe is really quite simple, and doesn’t require too many ingredients. The most important ingredient (in this recipe, and many others I love) are the chiles. I realize that not everyone lives in or around New Mexico, and may not have access to Hatch green chiles, but they’re becoming popular enough now that they are available at many super markets across the US, in the ethnic food section.
We happen to grow green chiles in our garden each year, and we’ll roast what we harvest and freeze them in batches. And around August or September, our local markets will get in large boxes (yes, boxes) of green chiles from Hatch, and we can have them roasted right outside the market. The entire store smells like roasted chiles, and it is one of the best parts of early fall, in my opinion.
So… we keep a healthy supply of frozen chiles in our freezer at all times, and that is what I used for this recipe. BUT, I have seen several (read: most) of the recipes online call for canned chiles, and I am sure they will work splendidly in this recipe.
This casserole will make a delightful companion for a potluck, a side dish for dinner, or as a variation on breakfast. It’s gooey and cheesy, and has just the perfect touch of spice. If you like chiles and cheese, you’re going to love this!
Chile Relleno Casserole
- 4 eggs
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- 2 tbsp flour
- 2 tsp salt
- 6 – 12 whole green chiles (skins, seeds and stems removed)
- 4 cups of shredded monterey jack & cheddar cheese (about a pound)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the eggs, heavy cream, flour and salt in a medium bowl, and whisk until the batter is smooth. Set aside.
Grease a pie or a small casserole dish. Layer one row or green chiles, and top with 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat. Pour batter over the cheese and chiles, then top with remaining cheese.
Bake in preheated oven for 40 – 60 minutes, until golden brown on top and cooked through.
Want even more green chiles? (I don’t blame you!) Here are some of my favorite recipes!
- Green Chile Strips – Strips of fresh green chile, battered and deep fried. They’re every bit as delicious as it sounds.
- Chile Verde – Seasoned chunks of pork simmered in a thick green chile and chicken stock soup. It’s one of my favorite winter dishes.
- Green Chile Gravy – What’s better than chicken fried steak smothered in gravy? Chicken fried steak smothered in green chile gravy. Trust me, and try it!
LOVE IT! I did a couple of modifications due to not having heavy cream. I used evaporative milk instead of the heavy cream. When I opened the can of chili’s I noticed all the juice so I poured the juice in the egg mixture. Lastly, I did add hamburger to the recipe. As I was cooking it my eyes were watering from the chili’s. The finished product was out of this world.
Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Robert
On your recipe how many people does that feed?I am needing to make this dish for about 8-9 people and want to know how much of each ingredients to add.
Hi Alicia,
Each serving feeds between 4 – 6 people, so if you’re feeding 8 – 9 people, I would double the recipe.
Can this recipe be cooked and then frozen for later? Or frozen uncooked? Have you tried either?
Thanks
Hi there. This sounds amazing! Wondering if you’ve tried with almond or coconut flour as a substitute to regular ap flour. On keto and think this would be so delicious.
Thanks!
Hi Ashley –
I actually have a nut allergy, so I haven’t used any other flours as substitute, but I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t work. Please let us know how it turns out if you try it!
Can you use canned chilies?
I haven’t tried this with canned chilies, but I imagine they would work just fine, as long as you drain them well.
I’ve made this several times. I use less cheese and coconut milk instead of heavy cream. Everyone loves it. Have you ever added other veggies (spinach, zucchini, etc.)?
Hi Vicki,
Sounds like you have some great substitute recommendations! I haven’t tried veggies, but I think it’s a great idea – I’ll add it to my next chile relleno casserole. Thanks for the suggestion!
When hatch peppers come into season I do about 10 lbs. you can broil them until black and then sweat them in a plastic bag. When they cool, the skins come off. chop off the stem, pull some of the veins. A pastry “scraper.” WEAR GLOVES.
Do the chilis have to be roasted first so the skin comes off?
Yep! Definitely! You can roast them in the oven or on the grill to get the skins loose.
FRIEND, I’m not finding a print button anywhere. Can you put it in plain sight please? Thank you, Maureen. *looking forward to your green chile casserole~