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This Chili Relleno Casserole is one of our favorite Mexican recipes. It has all the flavors of a classic chili Relleno without all the prep work. This recipe is always a big hit whenever I serve it. It is cheesy! Spicy! And delicious! You are going to love it!
Don and I love Mexican food and he is especially partial to chili rellenos. They are a bit involved if you make them at home.
Basically, chile Rellenos are roasted poblano peppers stuffed with as much cheese as you can get into them. Then they are dipped in an egg batter, giving them a thick coating. Finally, they are fried until golden brown.
Deconstructing the recipe into a casserole simplifies the dish and makes it very approachable.
Chili Relleno Casserole
The first time I made this recipe I bought some fresh poblano chiles and roasted them myself. Well, that really took the ‘quick and easy’ out of this recipe and I confess, all that extra effort did nothing to improve the taste.
Canned peppers work well for casseroles like this one and they make it easy to get dinner on the table quickly. If you want some more ideas using poblano peppers, try our poblano chorizo strata or our chipotle pork skillet dinner.
Why This Recipe Works
- It is easy and quick.
- Uses pantry ingredients so you can make this any night of the week.
- Makes a great weeknight dinner.
The Ingredients
Here is the list of ingredients you will need for this chile relleno casserole. Scroll down to the printable recipe card for all the details and ingredient amounts. You can substitute the cheeses for
- Eggs
- Milk
- Flour
- Salt and pepper
- Canned green chiles
- Cheddar cheese
- Monterey Jack cheese
- Pepper jack cheese
- Tomato paste
- Salsa
Sometimes I switch the flavors up and substitute the salsa for homemade mole sauce. I recommend you try that version as well.
This chili relleno casserole is easy and quick to put together, the most difficult part is waiting for it to bake.
I served this with a simple tossed salad and chips with Chipotle corn salsa and that is all we needed for dinner.
Check out our video and see how easy it is to make this chili relleno casserole.
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Chili Relleno Casserole
If you make this recipe, please leave a star rating and comment.
Ingredients
- 4 eggs, separated
- 1-½ cups milk
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 4 cans, 7-ounces each whole green chiles, split open and any seeds removed
- 3-½ cups shredded cheddar cheese, 1 pound, reserve 1/2 cup
- 4 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, 1 pound, reserve 1/2 cup
- ½ cup shredded pepper jack cheese
- 1-6 ounce can of tomato paste
- ½ cup prepared salsa
- ¼ cup water, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F and prepare a 9×13-inch casserole dish with non-stick spray.
- In a mixing bowl add the egg yolks, milk, flour, salt and pepper and beat together. In a separate bowl whip the egg whites to soft peaks. Fold the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture and set aside while you assemble the casserole.
- Arrange 1/2 of the peppers on the bottom of the casserole dish. Sprinkle with 1/2 of cheddar and 1/2 of the monterey jack cheese. Create the next layer with the remaining chilies and cheese. Pour the egg mixture over the cheese and let stand for 30 minutes.
- Transfer the casserole to the middle rack of the oven and bake for 1 hour and the center does not jiggle.
- While the casserole is baking: in a medium size bowl, toss the reserved cheddar, the reserved monterey jack cheese and the pepper jack cheese. In another small dish, mix the tomato paste and the salsa together until smooth. It may be necessary to add a small amount of tap water to get a spreadable consistency. Reserve the cheese and tomato topping in the refrigerator until the casserole has baked for the one hour.
- Remove the casserole from the oven and spread the tomato/salsa over the casserole and distribute the reserved cheese over the top. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and a little bubbly on the edges.
- Transfer the casserole to a wire rack and cool for 20 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
Made it tonight but with my hubby’s request for seasoned beef layered in with the cheese. It came out amazing!
Thank you for such a great recipe we will make again amd again!
Wow, Carly, adding the beef sounds amazing, I’m going to do that. Thanks for your creative idea! ?
It is SO easy. We season it with sliced black olives, taco seasoning, chopped green chilies and about 1/4 cup Pace Picante sauce.
I never had Chili Relleno stuffed with anything other than cheese until I moved to Texas from California. I’d be happy without any protein besides egg but my Hubby’s suggestion has truly put a great spin on an already perfect recipe.
That sounds really delicious, I love your variation. Kudos to your husband for suggesting that. 🙂
Made it tonight but with my hubby’s request for seasoned beef layered in with the cheese. It came out amazing!
Thank you for such a great recipe we will make again amd again!
Thank you for this great idea, so happy you enjoyed the casserole ?
Made 2 of these today! One for a friends family (Mama in the hospital), and one for our family. Perfect dish for Good Friday! Delicious and easy, this is 4 stars!
Woohoo! So glad you enjoyed this recipe. Thanks so much for the feedback! ?
Can I cut this recipe in Half? It sound so yummy but 9×13 is to big.
You sure can Michele. If you cut the recipe in half then use an 8×8 pan but I would advise using 3 egg whites instead of the 2 that half a recipe will require. Thanks for asking, I hope you enjoy the casserole.
I made this last night and man were they awesome. So glad I came across this recipe!
Thank you, Tammy, I’m so glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Can this be made a day ahead and baked the next day (Christmas morning). It really sounds delicious, thank you!
Diane, thank you for visiting our site. Yes, this can be made a day ahead and baked the next day. I wish you a Merry Christmas!
My hubby made this for dinner last night. All I can say is it was so yummy, and I am flag we get to have left covers tonight. So light and fluffy.
Oh, I am so happy that you tried this out! Even more happy that you enjoyed it! Thanks for responding back to me, it is nice to know when someone uses one of my recipe posting. 🙂
I’m with you and love chile rellanos. I’ve made them a couple of times and I agree, they’re ornery. Have you ever made what I call cheater rellanos? With wonton wrappers. I should probably blog about that. With all that said, this casserole looks fantastic and must be made soon. Pinned.
Hi, Lea Ann, No, I have never made the cheaters and I think you should post your recipe for it as it sounds interesting. Thanks for your comments. 🙂
I too am partial to chili relleno, but it’s the fried that keeps me from enjoying it very often — this is a fabulous way to have the flavors without the fuss! Thanks for stopping by Savoring Today and taking time to comment, it was great to discover your blog — wonderful recipes you have here. 🙂
Hi, Judy! I know exactly what you mean about the ‘fried’. I don’t make this very often as it isn’t exactly low-calorie fare but it is wonderfully delicious. So happy you discovered our blog and hope to see you often. Thank you for your nice comments. 🙂
We are kindred souls. I love chile rellenos. I can’t make them worth a darn. This is more than doable. It’s awesome. Wow, I am jazzed. I live in Port Townsend by the way and grew up just outside of Tacoma.
Hi, Carol…yes, this is a really easy casserole to put together, plus it is delicious. Thanks for your nice comments and it is nice to meet a neighbor-blogger! I am in the Silverdale area. Will be up that way on the 18th for the Lavender Festival, it sounds exciting and I have never been to a lavender farm. 🙂
You are going to be blown away. It is so beautiful. The lavender farms and the festival have been doing major growing in the last 10 yrs. Think about the Tulip Festival growth in MT Vernon. I used to live in Redmond and can remember when there was no festival. Albeit from a selfish point of view I hope it never grows to that madhouse size. I haven’t been in several years. I think I have just talked myself into going again. Smiles—-