Deconstructed Chili Rellenos Casserole Recipe

Ingredients:

6 to 8 Poblano Peppers (or other mild peppers)

3 or 4 eggs, beaten

12 Oz. or more Monterey Jack cheese (or Pepper Jack for the adventurous)

7 corn tortillas

4 Tablespoons Olive Oil (or spray cooking vegetable oil)

Red and/or Green Salsa (or Chipotle Peppers in Adobo sauce if you are real heat tolerant)

Salt, pepper, and hot sauce to taste

Grated Parmesan Cheese (optional) to garnish the top

Method:

Roast the peppers and remove the charred skin. (See previous instructions) You don’t have to get every bit off, it adds to the flavor.

Remove the stem and slice open the peppers. Remove the seeds and ribs; these are the source of most of the heat.  Poblanos can vary quite a bit in their Scoville heat index units.  Taste a piece of your peppers from near the stem side in order to gauge how spicy it will be, and adjust your ingredients accordingly. Fold the peppers open. If still very crisp, microwave or boil for a few minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Using half the olive oil, or cooking spray, generously oil a one quart casserole dish.

Place a layer of Tortillas on the bottom of the dish.

Place in layers the peppers, cheese and egg mixture until you are out of peppers. Spice each layer to taste.

Cover the top with tortillas. Spread the remaining olive oil on the tortillas, or use cooking oil spray.

Cover the top layer of tortillas with salsa of choice.  I like to use two different small cans of Herdez salsa, placing verde on one side and ranchera on the other.

Garnish with parmesan cheese.

Cover and bake for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake until the casserole is hot and bubbling, about 5 more minutes.

Serves 4.