Growing up, my family used to make homemade Chile Relleno's. They were made completely from scratch using poblano chiles. It was a very involved process, or at least more involved than I am willing to do myself. There was several different steps from roasting the whole poblanos, to peeling the skins, to stuffing them, then dipping them into the egg batter and frying to a golden brown. They were work, but man they were delicious!
Now days, I make a simple casserole that gives the same flavor profile with a lot less work. Enter Chile Relleno Casserole.
One of the best things about this casserole is that it takes simple ingredients that most people stock in their pantry. Making this an easy and quick meal to whip up any day.
Chile Relleno Casserole
6 corn tortillas, chopped
1 can diced green chiles, well drained
1 cup evaporated milk
1/2 can tomato sauce
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 lb browned ground beef, optional
Grease an 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray. Layer half of the chopped tortillas in bottom of dish. Sprinkle half of the green chiles and half of the cheese over tortillas. Top with remaining chopped tortillas. Finish with remaining green chiles. If using browned ground beef, sprinkle in with layers of tortillas and green chiles.
In a measuring cup, beat together eggs, evaporated milk, salt and pepper. Pour egg mixture over casserole. Bake uncovered at 350 for 30 minutes. Pour tomato sauce over top and remaining cheese and return to oven to 10 minutes.
Essentially, you just layer the ingredients twice and finish with a topping of cheese and tomato sauce that bakes up to deliciousness. Sometimes if I want to bulk up this recipe at bit more, I add a 1/2 lb of browned ground beef by sprinkling it in with the layers of tortillas and green chiles. It tastes wonderful that way too.
