Chili Rellenos Casserole
Originally from the 4th Edition of Better Homes & Gardens New Cookbook,1968.
I've had the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook in my cookbook library since the early 1970s. It was given to me as an off-to-college parting gift from my mother. I've made many recipes from this cookbook over the years but this one was not among them.
Fast forward to the 1990s when I met and married My Number One Fan, who also has her copy of this venerable publication, and it was the same 4th Edition, published in 1968. What I find interesting is that her copy of the cookbook and mine are quite differently worn. Hers seems pristine and crisp while mine is smeared with food stains, wrinkled pages, dog-eared corners and clearly shows a great deal more use than hers, or perhaps, she's just a cleaner, more organized cook.
She has made this dish, originally called "Chilies Rellenos Bake" enumerable times and I always loved it. I wasn't really aware until just recently that it comes from the familiar red-gingham spiral bound cookbook that served as the cornerstone of my cooking repertoire.
The recipe as originally presented is poorly written, however. It doesn't give a convenient list of ingredients before explaining the recipe, like most other recipes in this cookbook, which baffles me.
My Number One Fan made a few modifications to this recipe, namely omitting flour, substituting heavy cream for milk, adding whipped cream cheese and using more green chilies than the original recipe called for.
By the way, if you don't know what Chili Relleno is, a whole Poblano chili pepper is cored and stuffed with meat and/or cheese, then dipped in an egg batter and fried. Mexican cooks can get very creative in the variety of meats with which the pepper can be stuffed, including chicken, shredded pork and even smoked brisket. This casserole contains beef and combines some semblance of the ingredients from the originating recipe without all the hassle.
Chili Rellenos Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 lb 80/20 ground beef
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 10-oz cans whole green chilies, drained (like Old El Paso)
- 2 cups shredded Mexican Cheese blend
- 3/4 cup heavy cream + 1/4 cup water
- 1/3 cup whipped cream cheese (like, Philadelphia)
- 4 eggs
- 3-4 dashes of hot sauce (like, Tabasco)
- non-stick cooking spray (like, Pam)
- 1/8 tsp Adobo Seasoning (like, Goya)
- 1/8 ground black pepper
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 400°F.
- In a skillet over medium high heat, sauté the beef and onions together until the meat is browned and the onions begin to pick up a little color, about 10 minutes Remove from heat, drain off the fat and set aside.
- In an 11" x 7" casserole dish, sprayed liberally with the non-stick spray.
- Split open the green chilies from one can and lay them out on the bottom of the dish.
- Layer in 1-1/2 cups of the shredded cheese followed by all of the beef and onion mixture.
- Split open the green chilies from the second can and lay these out on top of the beef and onion mixture.
- In a mixing bowl and using a whisk, thoroughly blend together the four eggs, the whipped cream cheese and the cream with water, along with several dashes of the hot sauce. Season with the salt and pepper.
- Pour the egg mixture over top of the casserole.
- Top with the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheese.
- Bake uncovered 50 - 60 minutes until browned and bubbly and the eggs do not wiggle when you shake the casserole dish.
- Allow to stand and cool for 5 8 minutes before cutting into squares and serving.
Notes
- If you are uncertain the dish is cooked, insert a knife in the center of the casserole and if it comes out clean, the casserole is ready.
