Chile Relleno Casserole Recipe - The Washington Post

Chile Relleno Casserole Recipe - The Washington Post

Ingredients

measuring cup

Servings: 4-6

• 1 pound ground beef, preferably 90/10 blend
• 1 cup (4 ounces) chopped yellow onion
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon fine salt, divided
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Unsalted butter, for greasing
• 1 (27 1/2-ounce) can whole poblano peppers, drained (may substitute 6 large fresh poblanos; see Note)
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 4 large eggs, beaten

Directions

Time IconActive: 35 mins|Total: 1 hour 20 mins

1. Step 1

   Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees.

2. Step 2

   In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the beef and onions, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon and browning the beef until it just starts to turn crispy, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the mixture to a medium bowl, leaving behind as much fat as possible in the pan. Season the mixture with the cumin, 3/4 teaspoon of the salt and the black pepper.

3. Step 3

   Grease a 9-inch square baking dish with the butter or the fat rendered from the beef. Gently remove the stems and seeds from the poblanos and open the peppers so the flesh lies flat. Line the bottom of the pan with the poblanos, skin side down, overlapping them some to cover completely. Chop any remaining poblanos and set aside. Layer the meat-onion mixture over the whole poblanos and top with the shredded cheese and the reserved chopped peppers.

4. Step 4

   In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt. While whisking, gradually pour in the milk, breaking up any clumps of flour. Whisk in the eggs and pour the mixture evenly into the baking dish.

5. Step 5

   Bake the casserole for 45 minutes, or until it has puffed and browned. Remove from the oven and serve.

Notes

To use fresh rather than canned poblanos, position an oven rack 4 to 6 inches from the oven’s broiler element; preheat to broil. Place the poblanos on a large, rimmed baking sheet and broil until they brown in spots and blister without charring, watching them carefully and turning them with tongs until they are blistered all over. Transfer them to a heatproof bowl and cover with a plate or pan lid to let them steam and cool enough to be handled, at least 10 minutes. When the poblanos are cool enough to handle, use your fingers to carefully remove and discard their skins. Make a vertical slit from the stem end to the tip of each pepper. Gently remove the seeds and stems and open the peppers so the flesh lies flat.