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Chile Relleno Casserole using Anaheim peppers or Hatch chiles


Chile Relleno Casserole with Anaheim/Hatch peppers and Cotija cheese - TeenieCakes.com

Making true, authentic chile rellenos involves frying. It’s a labor of love and quite a process making them…roasting chiles and preparing them, stuffing the chiles with cheese, flour them and dip in egg mixture, deep fry them and then add to a big pot of sauce. Sometimes we’d be over generous stuffing the peppers and cheese would ooze out of the relleno while deep frying, making cracking sounds and dangerous oil splattering. (My dad used to say “I’m feeling like an overstuffed chile relleno” after a good meal and full stomach.)

Chile Rellenos are so flavorful and delicious! I grew up with my Mom and Aunts making huge pots of chile rellenos for family gatherings. It was a lot of work. When I got married and had the hankerin’ for one of my very favorite dishes, it was a meal that had to be planned for the weekend.   Even though I was just cooking for me and my husband, I’d make as many as the peppers I could get a hold of since I was going through the laborious process.

Not “too” long ago, my Mom shared this casserole recipe with me. I was very skeptical and couldn’t believe there could be anything as good as the real thing. While I still occasionally make the chile rellenos I enjoyed growing up, I appreciate the genius of this casserole AND that there’s no deep frying!   It’s a great dish and one that reheats well for leftovers.   I’ve made changes to the recipe for a healthier, fresher and more flavorful version by using fresh peppers versus canned and making my own sauce instead of using canned enchilada sauce.    I’m positive you’ll appreciate the couple of extra steps to achieve a more healthy and flavorful dish.

Teenie Notes
  • The original handed-down casserole recipe called for 1 large can of Ortega chiles.   When the chiles soak in their own juices for an extended period of time, it changes the flavor.   I strongly recommend using fresh peppers.
  • Grilling the peppers on an outdoor grill makes the roasting process quick and less mess on your stove top.
  • When shopping for Anaheim/Hatch peppers for Chile Rellenos, select peppers that are straight and less curvaceous.  It will make grilling them evenly easier.
  • Making your own sauce either with fresh, stewed tomatoes or using a can of whole peeled tomatoes gives you much more control of the flavors and how much salt is used.
  • Make extra sauce to pour over individual servings and maybe drizzling some on your Spanish Rice accompaniment.
  • Sprinkle crumbled Cotija cheese on top of each serving for that great cheese flavor and aesthetics.
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Chile Relleno Casserole
source Cristina from TeenieCakes.com
Ingredients

8-10 Anaheim peppers aka Hatch chiles

Sauce
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup brown onion, diced
1 (28 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes in tomato juice, blended
Salt and pepper, to taste

Egg Mixture
6 eggs, separated
1 1/2 cups low-fat milk
6 tablespoons flour
Salt and pepper, to taste

4 1/2 cups Colby Jack Cheese (or mix of cheddar and jack cheese)

Cotija cheese for garnish (optional)

Directions

Roast the peppers: Using a grill or gas burners, roast the peppers until blackened. After roasting each pepper, place in plastic bag while roasting the others and allow to steam within the bag. When all the peppers are roasted, cut the stems off, split open and clean the roasted peppers by pulling out the seeds and membrane and peeling/sliding the skins off (it helps to run the peppers under cold water while peeling). Dry the clean peppers with paper towels and set aside.

Chile Relleno Prep - Roasting the Peppers
Chile Relleno Prep – Roasting the Peppers

Make the Sauce: In a medium-sized saucepan, sauté the onions in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil until transparent. Add the whole peeled tomatoes and its juices, salt and pepper and simmer on medium-low heat until slightly thickened (about 10-15 minutes).

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare a 13″ x 9″ baking dish by spraying non-stick spray along the bottom and sides. Line bottom of pan with half of the prepared peppers. Evenly distribute 2 1/4 cups of the cheese on top of the first layer of peppers. Repeat with the rest of the peppers and cheese (your last layer will be cheese).

Chile Relleno Prep - Layering
Chile Relleno Prep – Layering

Beat egg whites until a soft peak forms. Mix together the milk, flour, egg yolks & salt and pepper. Blend the milk mixture with the egg whites. Pour over the layers of peppers and cheese.

Chile Relleno Prep - Egg Mixture
Chile Relleno Prep – Egg Mixture

Bake for 45 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Remove from oven and evenly distribute the sauce over the top. Return the baking dish to the oven for another 30 minutes.   Let set about 5-8 minutes before serving.    Sprinkle with crumbled cotija cheese, serve warm with Spanish Rice and Salsa.    Enjoy!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. RavenRiv says

    THANK YOU for this phenomenal recipe! We used Hatch peppers and fire-roasted tomatoes (had on hand) and Wow! Family asked that I make more to freeze, portion sized, hope it freezes well! Images are equally delicious! THANK YOU again!(:

    • Cristina says

      Hi RavenRiv: So happy you tried this recipe and that you enjoyed it! It’s a keeper of a recipe and perfect for the seasonal Hatch/Anaheim peppers out right now. The casserole should freeze okay, although the texture of the cheese may change a bit (but just as tasty!). Thanks so much for the feedback. 😉

  2. Cindy,Sanger,TX says

    The Chile Relleno recipe was a hit. Growing Polano Peppers in our garden this year and used them in this recipe. Fresh tomatoes,onions (from our garden) for the sauce. Added Chitpole pepper to tomatoes,onions and garlic…nice flavor.
    Thank you for a wonderful recipe. Next time I will add chorizo and see how that goes. Thanks.

    • Cristina says

      Hi Cindy: How fantastic that you grow your own poblanos and some of the other ingredients for this casserole. I bet it truly tasted even better with the fresh ingredients. I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe. I’d love to hear how adding the chorizo to the chile relleno casserole turned out. 🙂

  3. AZ Mom of 2 says

    This was wonderful! I made 1/3 of it tonight, cutting the recipe to 2 eggs, 1/2 cup milk, 2 T flour. I fit it into a loaf pan and cooked it in my solar oven. Light and airy, and a keeper recipe. Thanks so much!

    • Cristina says

      Hi AZ Mom of 2: I’m so happy you tried the recipe and liked it! How interesting to have used a solar oven and making it in a loaf pan. Were you able to use fresh chilis? Glad the recipe turned out well and that it’s a keeper for you! Thanks for sharing and commenting back here. 😉

      Have a great summer!

  4. Mandi says

    I am SO making this. I love chile rellenos but every time I look up recipes to make them, they seem like such a hassle, especially since you already have to roast the chiles. This seems much simpler.

  5. Honey Daffin says

    I made your chile relleno casserole recipe this morning (x-mas) for my family. They all loved it. My husband actually went in for thirds!

    Thanks so much and Merry Christmas.

    HD

    • Cristina - Teenie Cakes says

      I’m so glad that you tried this chile relleno casserole and that your family enjoyed it too! It really is a keeper of a recipe! Thank you for sharing that you tried it…hope you’ll be making it again! 😉

  6. Sarah says

    Do you think this would freeze well? I’m going to a “casserole party” next week and am looking for something to take. This looks awfully good!

  7. Pat Rasmussen says

    I made this recipe for our quarterly block party in our neighborhood – it is truly delicious! I used fresh roasted New Mexico green chilis – yum!!!! I try lots of recipes I find on line and in magazines and most I never make again, but this one is a keeper!!! I love your website.

  9. Deb Gale says

    How do you make sure you buy fresh green chilies that aren’t too hot? I’ve heard if the ends are more rounded than pointed they might not be as hot.

    • Cristina says

      Hiya Deb:
      The green Anaheim peppers, used for chile rellenos, are a milder variety pepper. Honestly, though, I have come across some “hot” ones in all the years I’ve enjoyed them but my spicy/hot tolerance level is not super high. I have not heard that tip about the ends as an indication as to its “hotness” – I can offer these tips:
      – From personal experience I have found that the most beautiful, healthy Anaheim peppers in the mkts are around the winter months (for southern California). The peppers at that time seem to be more flavorful and there tends to more “hot” ones.
      – If you’d like to reduce the heat of the peppers: after roasting and opening them up for either the casserole or authentic rellenos, remove the seeds and flesh inside the pepper (wear kitchen gloves to avoid pepper burn!).

      I’ll look into it further about if there’s a good way to tell when buying them if they’re hot or not.
      If I come across anything further – I’ll post it here and email you. Thank you for visiting TeenieCakes – please let me know if you make the casserole. =)

  10. Catherine says

    This looks wonderful! You have such a wonderful site. I’m so happy I found you on Cook Eat & Share!
    Wishing you a wonderful weekend!
    Cheers~

  12. Elizabeth says

    This looks stunning! I’ve never seen anything like it. I imagine it would be quite spectacular. So golden and fluffy!

  14. denise @ quickies on the dinner table says

    I’ve always wanted to try making Chile Relleno but was daunted by all the frying involved. I love your version and find it much more appealing actually than the traditional recipes I’ve seen. Thanks for a great post Cristina 🙂

  16. citronetvanille says

    Oh I am learning a lot about Mexican cuisine and culture throughout your site, which I am not too familiar with! Great dish, and even though never tasted some, I now from the pic that it must be incredibly delicious!

  17. Krista says

    This looks fantastic! But am I missing something? I can’t locate the amount of flour required. It’s called for in the instructions but i don’t see it in the ingredient list.

  18. Your Cuz :D says

    This looks sooo gooood., and easy… Yumy!!! I’m going to make this Saturday 🙂
    Thanks, T.

  20. sweetlife says

    My mom makes something similar but she uses poblanos, I have not made it in awhile, thanks for the reminder..looks yummy

    sweetlife

    • Teenie Cakes says

      Rochelle – I wouldn’t have either! It’s ingenious…and knowing how much work it is making individual rellenos and then making this casserole…”brill!” (My Manager at work was from England and he used to say “brill” alot ..short for “brilliant!”) =)

  29. Daydreamer Desserts says

    Tina, this looks amazing! My husband LOVES chiles rellenos and always says I don’t make them often enough. He’s gonna flip when I make this. Thanks for sharing! 🙂

  30. pegasuslegend says

    Wow perfect for Cinco~ and the colors are magnificient, what a great photo, love the colors and you can almost taste the flavors….so perfectly well stacked!

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