Dan’s Chile Relleno Casserole
This chile pepper is often mislabeled ‘Pasilla’, which is a different pepper entirely.It is one of the most popular chiles in Mexico and has won the appreciation of many a chef worldwide because of the superior flavor it has over regular bell peppers.
They have a tough outer skin that usually requires roasting and peeling before use. These very large chile peppers are most popular in chiles rellenos recipes, but cooking with these as a substitute for bell peppers in any recipe will enhance the flavor.
Ingredients:
18-20, Grade 1- Bailey Farms Poblano Peppers
2 pounds Monterrey Jack Cheese, shredded
2 packages of Southwest-style hash browns
19 oz. can of Old El Paso enchilada sauce
15 oz. can of tomato sauce
1 yellow onion, diced
4 oz. can chopped green chiles
1 jar Tostitos queso dip
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp. olive oil
6 large eggs
Instructions:
Roast the peppers in a 400F oven for 10-15 minutes per side until the skins blacken and bubble. Remove the peppers from the oven and put in a brown paper bag-sealed for 5 minutes. Remove the peppers from the bag and peel the skins off the peppers. Carefully remove the seeds with a spoon. Remove the stems and lay open the peppers flat out. Do this to all of them and set aside.
Beat the 6 eggs with 6 Tbsp. of water and set aside.
In a large frying pan, add the olive oil and put on medium-high heat. Saute the diced onion until translucent. Add the chopped garlic and 4 oz. can of green chiles, saute a few minutes together. Add the enchilada and tomato sauces and stir. Turn the heat down and simmer for 3-5 minutes or until bubbly. Add the Queso dip by the Tbsp; (approx. 3 Tbsp. at a time) stir until a slight orange color. Simmer for a few more minutes, the remove from the heat and set aside.
In a large 9″x 13″ casserole pan add some of the hash browns evenly across the bottom of the pan; pat down. Pour half of the egg mixture evenly over the hash browns. Lay 9-10 peppers across the mixture. Pour 1/3 to 1/2 of the sauce evenly over the mixture. Evenly spread 1/2 of the cheese over the top. Use 2/3 of a bag of hash browns to cover the cheese and press down slightly.
Add the remaining egg mixture over the casserole and evenly place the remaining peppers on top. Cover thickly with the remaining sauce. Bake covered at 350F for 1 to 1-1/2 hours or until bubbling from the bottom. Now add the remaining cheese. Bake until the cheese is melted and remove from the oven to cool. Slice into 3″ x 3″ squares; serve from bottom with spatula.
Recipe courtesy of Dan Yager.