Chile Relleno Casserole
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Chile relleno casserole is an easier version of the classic dish, Chiles Rellenos. This Mexican casserole delivers the same explosion of flavors and textures in a fraction of the time. Call it a “cheaters” version if you like, but I say it’s pure genius!
Chile relleno casserole: the game-changing twist on a Mexican classic
What is Chile Relleno Casserole
This casserole is composed of layers of poblano peppers, cheese, and your choice of meat, all baked in a rich batter made from eggs, Mexican cream, and flour. Serve it with a side of Mexican rice, refried beans, and a fresh salad for a complete and delicious meal!
Chile Relleno Casserole!
Love Chiles Rellenos but short on time? Make this Chile Relleno Casserole for a hassle-free, flavor-packed recipe thats perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner, especially busy weeknights. A delicious recipes that’s sure to win you smiles!
Here’s why you should give this recipe a try:
1. Same amazing ingredients, minus the hassle
2. No frying required – Prep, layer, bake and enjoy!
3. No mixer needed!
4. Perfect foamy and moist batter.
5. Comforting – Warm, cheesy, and satisfying.
6. Versatile and customizable: Easily swap out the meat or cheese to create a different version of this dish.
7. Family-friendly – Pleases both kids and adults, encourages sharing and bonding, and is fun to eat and present!
How to make Chile Relleno Casserole
Start the salsa
Preheat oven to 425ºF, then Place tomato, onion, and garlic on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with oil and roast for 45 minutes or until slightly charred and cooked through. Remove and set aside until needed.
Casserole
Roast poblano peppers on a comal over medium-heat until charred and blackened all around. In a bowl, covered with plastic wrap, let the peppers sweat for 10 minutes, then peel, remove stems, seeds, and set aside.
Fry corn tortilla in oil in a large non-stick pan until golden brown, and crispy on both sides. Set it aside, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cook onions in the same pan until slightly softened. Stir in chorizo and fully cook, removing excess fat. Set aside.
Batter: Blend eggs, crema, and butter until smooth, aerated, and bubbly (5 minutes on medium-high speed in a Vitamix blender).
Pour into a bowl, then sift in the flour, baking powder, ground onion, and ground garlic. Add salt and whisk until just combined.
Mix both cheeses together until well combined and set aside momentarily. Preheat oven to 350ºF and grease a 12-in baking dish with cooking spray.
Layer half of the roasted peppers, chorizo, and half of the cheese.
Repeat with the remaining peppers and cheese.
Lightly whisk the batter, then pour it over the cheese. Spread and level as much as possible for even baking.
Bake for 40-45 minutes or until egg is fully cooked, set, and golden brown. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Finish the salsa
Blend roasted tomatoes, onion, peeled garlic, crispy tortilla, oregano, chipotle peppers, adobo, vinegar and broth until completely smooth. Also, heat 2 TBSP of oil in small saucepan over medium-low heat. Pour in the salsa, gentle simmer it for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt to taste, then remove from heat.
Serve
Top each individual piece with sauce, chopped cilantro. you can also pair it with beans, Mexican rice and a side of salad. This Casserole recipe truly wins you over!
Get to know Chiles Rellenos – the dish!
Chiles rellenos: a classic Mexican dish meaning “stuffed pepper’’, uses Poblano peppers from Puebla, Mexico, which are mild but occasionally spicy. This iconic dish originated in Puebla in the 1800s, created by nuns. And without doubt, it is a dish that has become one of the most iconic and beloved in Mexican cuisine.
This Mexican casserole is crafted by stuffing roasted peppers with cheese, then coating them in a light and airy egg batter. Next, they are fried until golden brown, before being simmered in a rich, savory sauce that infuses the egg with depth of flavor, resulting in a soft and creamy texture.
Recipe Video Tutorial
Below is my easy to follow video tutorial on how to make this Chile Relleno Casserole. It will give you an additional in-depth knowledge and the visuals of the step-by-step process to enhance your understanding. Plus, the melting cheese will inspire you to make this casserole! You will also find the video down in the recipe card.
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My favorite tools
Casserole (Cast iron staub): Versatility and style in one! Cooking pan and oven safe, the perfect combo. Beautiful presentation at the dining table.
Blender: My trusty champion! No straining required, makes my life easier.
Knife: High-quality prep made easy, no more crushing herbs!
Made in Comal by Masienda: Perfect for roasting ingredients.
Protein Options: add your choice to the casserole - Beef, Pork, Chicken, Turkey.
Low sodium ingredients
You’ll notice I’m using low sodium Mexican cream and butter in this casserole recipe instead of salted. It allows us to control the salt level, especially if an amount is being suggested. When using salted ingredients, reduce the kosher salt amount accordingly to avoid over-salting.
Room temperature
For even baking, ensure the eggs and cream are at room temperature, allowing the batter to mix easier.
Options to pair this Casserole with:
Prep ahead of time – If desired
- Poblano peppers
- Chorizo
- Cheese
- Salsa
IMPORTANT NOTE
The batter for this Chile Relleno casserole cannot be prepared in advance, doing so will make it loose its airiness and deflate, curdling and affecting the consistency and texture.
More Recipes
- Ensalada de Coditos (Mexican Pasta Salad)
- Chicken Tamales
- Jello Fruit Cake
- Pan-Fried Lemon Garlic Pasta
- Green Chicken Chili
Chile Relleno Casserole
8
servings30
minutes1
hour1
hour30
minutesThis Chile Relleno Casserole delivers the same explosion of flavors and textures in a fraction of the time. Call it a “cheaters” version if you like, but I say it’s pure genius!
Ingredients
- Casserole
8 ea poblano peppers
- Filling
1/2 ea white onion, diced
1 lb pork chorizo
- Cheese
1 lb Oaxaca cheese, grated
8 oz yellow cheddar, grated
- Batter
6 ea large eggs, room temp
1 cup Mexican crema (low sodium), room temp
2 TBSP unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp ground onion
1/2 tsp ground garlic
3/4 tsp kosher salt
- Additional items
Cilantro, chopped (garnish)
Avocado oil, for cooking
- Salsa
1 ea corn tortilla
1/2 ea white onion, roughly diced
4 ea garlic cloves, unpeeled
1 lb tomatoes, quartered
1/2 tsp dry Mexican oregano
3 ea chipotle in adobo
2 TBSP adobo sauce
1 TBSP white distilled vinegar
1 1/4 cup chicken broth, low sodium
To Taste salt
Directions
- Start Salsa
- Preheat oven to 425ºF. Place tomato, onion, and garlic on a sheet pan line with parchment paper. Drizzle with oil and roast for 45 minutes or until slightly charred and cooked through. Remove and set aside until needed.
- Casserole Steps
- Roast poblano peppers on a comal over medium-heat until charred and blackened all around. In a bowl, covered with plastic wrap, let the peppers sweat for 10 minutes. Peel, remove stems, seeds, and set aside.
- Fry corn tortilla in 3 TBSP of oil in a large non-stick pan until golden brown, and crispy on both sides. Set aside.
- Make the filling: reduce heat to medium-low. Cook onions in the same pan until slightly softened. Stir in chorizo and fully cook, removing excess fat. Set aside.
- Batter: Blend eggs, crema, and butter until smooth, aerated, and bubbly (5 minutes on medium-high speed in a Vitamix blender).
- Pour into a bowl. Sift in the flour, baking powder, ground onion, and ground garlic. Add salt and whisk until just combined, being careful not to over-mix.
- Mix both cheeses together until well combined. Set aside momentarily.
- Preheat oven to 350ºF and grease a 12-in baking dish with cooking spray.
- Layer half of the roasted peppers, chorizo, and half of the cheese. Repeat with the remaining peppers and cheese. Lightly whisk the batter, then pour it over the cheese. Spread and level as much as possible for even baking.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes or until egg is fully cooked, set, and golden brown.
- Finish Salsa
- Blend roasted tomatoes, onion, peeled garlic, crispy tortilla, oregano, chipotle peppers, adobo, vinegar and broth until completely smooth.
- Heat 2 TBSP of oil in small saucepan over medium-low heat. Pour in salsa, gentle simmer for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt to taste, remove from heat.
- Casserole is done
- Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes before serving.
- Serve
- Top each individual piece with sauce, chopped cilantro. Pair it with beans, Mexican rice and a side salad.
Delicious! I will be making this again!
So glad you liked it! thanks for sharing your experience.
This Chili Relleno casserole is outstanding! So tasty! The chorizo in it really makes it and that sauce is delicious. This a keeper. Watched you make it on YouTube. Thanks for this delicious recipe.
So glad you liked it, thanks for sharing with us!
My daughter in law made this over the weekend to celebrate our son’s birthday and it was delicious! I asked for the recipe and can’t wait to make it myself. My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Wow! love it! thanks for leaving us a comment on your experience. This is a great recipe and I know you will be making it many times.
My daughter in law made this on Sunday to celebrate our son’s birthday and it was delicious! I requested the recipe, purchased all the ingredients and will make it tonight for me and my husband.
This looks delicious and I have to try it. Do you have any advice on how to keep and reheat any leftovers?
Store an airtight container in the fridge or freeze in a freezer-safe container. To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge if frozen, and reheat in the microwave until heated through.
This casserole is really, really tasty. I almost didn’t make the sauce but I’m so glad I did. It’s such a great companion to the casserole, definitely think it’s a must. I could not find Oaxaca cheese in the three grocery stores I visited so I used jalapeno jack. Thanks for a delicious recipe.
Glad you liked it and made it work. You made the salsa, good for you!
This is so delicious! The salsa is incredible too. I will definitely make this again! And so much easier than traditional Chile Rellenos. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
My pleasure!
Hi, I just found your recipes and I think they look amazing. I´m mexican and I live in Mexico, and all the recipes although they are different to the way we cooke here, they all look delicious. I will be trying them. I just have one suggestion for peeling poblano chiles (the ones you use for your chile relleno cacerole): you can put them into the air fryer to roast, let them roast perfectly till they´re black all around, then pop them into a sealing bag, and let them sweat. Once they are completely wet, take them out, you´ll be able to peel them easily. Then, to reduce the heat, open them, scrape off the seeds, put them in hot or warm water with a lot of salt and let them sit there for a couple of hours. If you repeat this several times, they will not be hot at all, and you´ll keep their delicious flavor.
Hi there! I appreciate you sharing your technique with me. While I haven’t tried soaking them in hot water myself, I’m always eager to learn and explore new methods. I’m curious, doesn’t the pepper become even more tender from cooking further in the hot water? Thanks again for sharing your insight!
My family are crazy meat eaters, so I made this with 3lbs of homemade lean chorizo (it’s easy using common pantry spices). The other changes were extra poblanos and halving the Oaxacan cheese. I kept all of the other measurements the same and baked in a 9×13 casserole dish. The salsa was a fantastic accompaniment. Thank you for the delicious recipe!
Love it! Your own creativity is bringing this recipe to life.