Chiles Rellenos Casserole

I found this recipe the other day when all I really wanted was comfort food. I showed it to D and he said, "UM YES!" So there you go.

It was really good. D thought you could substitute all the egg mixture with taco shells. I thought you could eat this for breakfast. Either way, we'll have again. We both thought it needed more green chilies.

D used 1 lb of chicken because we had no side.

Chiles Rellenos Casserole

Photo by ALB

One of those “wow” dishes. It’s comforting, full of flavor, different than any other casserole you’ve had, and it’s really easy. Could it get any better? When corn is in season, by all means, cut off fresh kernels to use instead of frozen.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 (3 1/2-inch) square)
Hands-on:38 Minutes
Total:1 Hour, 50 Minutes

Ingredients
2 teaspoons canola oil
1/2 pound ground chicken (used 1 lb)
1 cup chopped onion

1 3/4 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (16-ounce) can vegetarian refried beans
1 (4-ounce) cans whole green chiles, drained and cut lengthwise into quarters(drain into chicken mixture) (next time use 2 cans)
Cooking spray
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded colby-Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup frozen whole kernel corn, thawed and drained
1/3 cup all-purpose flour (used 1/4)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups fat-free milk (used 1C 2%)
1/8 teaspoon hot sauce
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 egg whites

Preparation
1. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add chicken and onion; cook 6 minutes or until chicken is done, stirring to crumble. Combine chicken mixture, cumin, and next 5 ingredients (through refried beans) in a bowl.

2. Arrange half of green chile strips in bottom of an 11 x 7-inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray; top with half of cheese. Spoon mounds of bean mixture onto cheese, and spread gently, leaving a 1/4-inch border around edge of dish; top with corn. Arrange remaining chile strips over corn; top with remaining cheese.

3. Combine flour and salt in a bowl; gradually add milk and hot sauce, stirring with a whisk until blended. Stir in eggs and egg whites; pour milk mixture over chile strips. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 5 minutes or until set; let stand 5 minutes.

Nutritional Information (original recipe)
Calories: 344 ;Fat: 13.8g; Saturated fat: 5.5g; Monounsaturated fat: 3.8g; Polyunsaturated fat: 1.4g; Protein: 23.3g; Carbohydrate: 31.6g; Fiber: 7g; Cholesterol: 107mg; Iron: 2.7mg; Sodium: 655mg; Calcium: 264mg 

Cooking Light JANUARY 1995; NOVEMBER, 2012