This easy chile relleno casserole recipe is the perfect one pan dish – this roasted poblanos, eggs, and cheese fit perfectly in breakfast, brunch, or dinner meals.
Chile Relleno Casserole Recipe
You’re perhaps familiar with chile relleno, essentially “stuffed pepper,” that typically refers to the fabled Mexican dish of roasted poblano peppers stuffed with cheese, lightly battered and fried.
What if you had it in a casserole form? What we’ve done here for this recipe is take all of those lovely ingredients from chile relleno and we are turning it into a casserole dish.
Yes!
Behold, my friends, Chile Relleno Casserole. You’re going to love this.
Why I Love This Recipe
What’s great about Chile Relleno Casserole is that it’s all cooked up in a single pan, making it a very easy meal to prepare and serve.
Every single thing is cooked, then layered up, and it’s then baked. That’s it, serve it straight out of the pan. And I also love that you can serve it as a breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner.
It’s an anytime meal. You can do this in WAY less than an hour, closer to 40 minutes or so, with a little prep.
Sometimes we like to add some Mexican chorizo or shredded chicken before baking it and then serve it as a simple but satisfying dinner.
Hot sauce, of course, is a must. Love this with a good dose of spicy hot sauce.
Let’s talk about how to make chile relleno casserole, shall we?
Chile Relleno Casserole Ingredients
You can also print the list of whole ingredients with actual measurements in the easy-to-print recipe card at the end of this post. For now, just know you’ll need:
- Poblano Peppers – Excellent for roasting. Feel free to use whatever great stuffing peppers you can find or roasted Hatch chiles, or your favorite green chile.
- Olive Oil – Just enough to sauté all that good stuff.
- Jalapeño Peppers – Bring the heat! Add more or less depending on how spicy you want it .
- Onion – Because what’s a savory dish without some onion action ?
- Garlic – Fresh cloves, finely chopped. Trust me, it makes a difference.
- Tomatoes – Fresh and chopped, or go the easy route with canned. Tomato sauce also works if you’re aiming for a smoother, saucier vibe.
- Seasonings – Mexican oregano, smoked paprika, ancho powder or any favorite chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Your spices are going to be where the heart and soul of flavor lies.
- Eggs- so everything sticks together
- Cheddar Cheese– Have fun, too. Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, or your other favorite melty cheese is going to be fabulous.
- Top it off with spicy chili flakes and fresh herbs for a final kick of flavors.
How to Make Chile Relleno Casserole – the Recipe Steps
Find the full instructions in step-by-step detail, along with accurate measurements, in this recipe card at the bottom of the post. But for now, here’s a quick rundown of what you’re going to be doing:
First things first: roast those peppers! Choose your favorite method-whatever that happens to be, open flame, under the broiler, or on the grill. Today I am working with a mix of poblano peppers and a couple of jalapeños for some added kick. Once roasted to perfection, let them cool a bit, then peel off the skins.
Need more tips for roasting peppers? Check out my guide on how to roast poblano peppers or chilies in general for alternative methods you might like.
You can also use pre-roasted peppers, like these Hatch chiles, which I use in the video below.
Slice the roasted peppers into strips and set them aside.
Next, cook down the jalapeno, onion, and garlic in a large pan, then add the tomatoes and spices.
Cook for 10 minutes on medium-low, until the tomatoes soften up and the mixture becomes saucy.
Layer up a baking dish (or you can use the same pan) with sauce, then roasted chilies.
Then layer in half the cheese, and repeat.
Pour in your beaten egg batter. Turn the pan to let egg mixture move into all the nooks and crannies.
Bake the casserole for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the egg sets and the cheeses are nice and melty. It should turn a nice golden brown.
Serve it with warmed tortillas. I enjoyed the leftovers the next day, just reheated, popped some onto warmed flour tortillas with hot sauce.
Hot sauce is a must!
Boom! That’s it, my friends! Easy enough, right? As I said, everything in one pan. That’s the great thing about casseroles. They’re quite easy yet truly satisfying.
Just like a classic chile relleno. Only as a casserole!
Storage & Leftovers
Store any leftover chile relleno casserole in the refrigerator in a sealed container or covered in plastic wrap or aluminum foil up to 5 days.
You can easily reheat it in the oven to enjoy again.
Chile Relleno Casserole
Course: Uncategorized4
servings15
minutes40
minutes212
kcalThis easy chile relleno casserole recipe is the perfect one-pan dish, with roasted poblanos, eggs, and cheese, great for breakfast, brunch, or dinner.
Ingredients
10Â poblano peppers
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 jalapeno pepper chopped
1 medium onion chopped
4 cloves garlic chopped
1 pound fresh tomatoes chopped (or use canned)
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ancho powder or use chili powder
½ teaspoon cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
4Â large eggs
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese or use Monterey Jack, pepper jack, or a combination
FOR GARNISH: spicy chili flakes and fresh herbs
Instructions
- Set your oven to broil. Slice the poblano peppers in half lengthwise and place them on a lightly oiled baking sheet, skin sides up. Broil the poblanos about 10 minutes, or until the skins char and blacken. They should puff up. Remove, cool slightly, then peel off the skins and discard them along with the seeds and stems.
- Slice the poblanos into strips (or rough chop them, if preferred) and set them aside.
- While the poblanos are roasting, heat a 10-inch oven proof skillet to medium heat and add the olive oil.
- Add the onion and jalapeno and cook them down about 5 minutes to soften.
- Add the garlic and cook another minute, until you can smell the awesome garlic.
- Add the tomatoes, oregano, paprika, ancho powder, cumin and salt and pepper. Break apart the tomatoes and stir. Cook for 10 minutes on medium-low, until the tomatoes soften up and the mixture becomes saucy. You can simmer longer if you’d like. Scoop the sauce into a glass bowl.
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In the same 10-inch skillet (or you can use a baking dish or casserole dish), spoon half of the sauce into the bottom of the pan. Layer in half of the roasted poblano strips and half of the shredded cheese.
- Add the remaining sauce, then remaining poblano peppers, then most of the remaining cheese.
- Next, beat the eggs with the remaining cheese and pour the mixture over the top of the casserole.
- Bake for 25 minutes, or until the egg sets and the cheeses are nice and melty.
- Remove and garnish with spicy chili flakes and fresh herbs.
Notes
- Serve it with warmed tortillas. I enjoyed the leftovers the next day, just reheated, popped some onto warmed flour tortillas with hot sauce. YUM!!
Nutrition Facts
4 servings per container
- Amount Per ServingCalories212
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat
14g
22%
- Saturated Fat 7g 35%
- Cholesterol 112mg 38%
- Sodium 220mg 10%
- Potassium 495mg 15%
- Protein 12g 24%
- Vitamin A 1638%
- Vitamin C 131%
- Calcium 248%
- Iron 2%
* The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.