Chile Relleno Casserole

 

I’ve used poached chicken breast, rotisserie chicken and shredded pork roast for this recipe and they’re all delicious. This is the perfect dish to use leftover meat from a previous meal. You can also go completely without meat if you choose and toss in a can of rinsed and drained black beans. Use whatever cheese you like, just make sure it melts well. I love quesadilla, pepper jack, colby-jack or cheddar for this recipe.

 

There are a couple ways to go about charring your peppers. If you have a gas stove, you can use metal tongs to rotate them right over the open flame on the burner. You can also place them under the broiler in the oven as I did in the picture above. Whatever way you choose, make sure you get them completely black and blistered. This imparts more roasted flavor and it makes removing the skin so much easier. If using the oven, remove the stem and seeds then cut in half and lay on a sheet tray covered in tinfoil. Whether you remove the seeds is up to you, they tend to contain a lot of heat. I also remove the white/vein looking portions on the inside. This part of the pepper tends to be bitter. Once your peppers are charred wrap them up tightly in the sheet of tinfoil or you can place them in a small airtight container. This lets the peppers steam and soften, making skin easier to remove. Set the peppers aside to soften while you move on to the next step.

 

I tend to multi-task when I cook, if you aren’t comfortable doing this, just go one step at a time. In a large skillet cook your diced onions in a small amount of oil. You want to get them super soft and caramelized. 

 

If your meat isn’t already cooked, get it going now. You can poach the chicken breast, cook it in a skillet or bake it in the oven. One large breast is the perfect size. You can cook the pork the same way, except for poaching. Once you get the meat going, start cooking your chosen grain according to its package directions.

 

Shred or thinly slice your meat once cooked and set it aside. Get your oven pre-heating to 375 degrees.

 

Remove your cooked onions  and set them aside, and in the same large skillet heat the 3 TBsp of oil then whisk in the flour. This is your roux, the thickener for your sauce. It should be quite runny, so add more oil if it clumps up and turns pasty. Whisk occasionally and cook this for 3-4 minutes over medium heat. While whisking, slowly pour in your milk then the enchilada sauce. It will be clumpy at first, don’t worry, it will smooth out as it heats up and is whisked. Whisk occasionally , making sure to scrape the bottom and sides (cooked flour likes to stick to the pan).

 

 While the sauce continues to thicken,  unwrap your peppers and peel off the charred skin. Give them a rough chop and toss them into your sauce along with the cooked onions. Your grain should be cooked by now, drain it if needed and toss it into your sauce mixture. If the skillet you’re using isn’t big enough, everything can be combined in the large casserole/baking pan you’ll use to bake it in.

 

Stir in one cup of the cheese then add in the meat and mix until everything is well combined. Salt & pepper to taste. Spoon/pour into a large baking dish/pan and spread evenly. Top with the remaining cup of cheese. Pop into the 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes. You want the cheese to get a nice melted crust going. Once cooked, portion out into large bowls and top with a hand full of the French Onions (they give it the nice crunch like what you get with crispy chile rellenos). You can certainly make your own shoe-string onions, but I find them to not be as nearly crunchy as the store bought version. Leftovers freeze beautifully in an airtight container. Enjoy!