I have several “favorite” chile relleno casserole dishes. Sometimes I like them with some kind of meat….chorizo, shredded beef, taco meat, chicken…etc. But sometimes I just like to keep it simple. This is a super simple and quick dish. It’s super yummy. Usually I use the canned whole chiles, but since I have tons of homegrown chiles, that’s what I used. Ohhhhh, so much flavor in the fresh chiles. You do have to roast them and peel them, but that is super simple. So, if you can, buy the fresh ones and peel them yourself. Otherwise, use the canned ones. They are good too.

So here is the basic recipe that is just delicious. But feel free to add whatever the hell you want! Make it your own! Just make it….you will love it.

I even made a little burrito………….sooooooooo, good.

So Easy Chile Relleno Casserole

Approx 8 green chiles, roasted and split open flat, (canned or fresh*)
1 cup milk (I use half and half)
3 eggs
2 cups of shredded Cheddar Jack cheese
1/2 tsp salt and pepper
1/4 tsp paprika

* To roast the peppers: (2 methods)
1) Heat oven to 400. Place WHOLE fresh, clean chiles on a baking sheet. Roast in the oven until you really start smelling the wonderful aroma and they are nice and blistered. Black char is ok. This step takes about 20 minutes. But keep an eye on them. Once they are blistered, remove from oven and cover with foil. Let them sit like this for about 20 minutes. This will allow the skins to steam up and make for easy peeling. You are now ready to peel.
2) You can also place the WHOLE chiles in a large skillet and turn the heat on medium. Let them blister and turn them, so that they are evenly blistered on both sides. Once blistered, cover the pan and let set for about 20 minutes or so. You are now ready to peel. The skins should just come right off.

Turn oven down to 350.
Spray an 8×8 or 9×9 casserole dish with a non stick spray. Place half of the split open chiles in the dish. Top with half of the cheese. Place another layer of chiles down on top of the cheese. Top with remaining cheese.

In a bowl, mix together the milk, spices and eggs. Pour it over the cheese. Place the casserole dish on a baking sheet. Pour about 1/4″  hot water into the baking sheet, so your casserole dish is sitting in a little water bath. Bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until set. Be careful removing the sheet from the oven if you still have water in it.

Top with some salsa, more cheese, sour cream, etc. Or stuff a flour tortilla. I like to cut a wedge and put it on a crispy corn tortilla.