Chiles Rellenos Casserole
By America's Test KitchenPublished on November 9, 2012
Time
1½ hours
Yield
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 onion, chopped fine 2 pounds 90 percent lean ground beef 4 poblano chiles (or 6 Anaheim), stemmed, seeded, and chopped2 garlic cloves, minced2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 ¼ teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon dried oregano ¾ teaspoon pepper ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 (10-ounce) can Ro-Tel tomatoes, drained10 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (2 ½ cups)½ cup all-purpose flour ¾ cup skim milk 2 large egg whites
Before You Begin
If you can’t find Ro-Tel tomatoes, use 1 cup of drained diced tomatoes combined with 1 finely chopped, stemmed, and seeded jalapeño.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in beef, breaking up meat into small pieces, and cook until no longer pink, 8 to 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer beef mixture to paper towel–lined plate. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from skillet.
- Add poblanos and cook over medium-high heat until browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in beef mixture, garlic, cumin, ¾ teaspoon salt, oregano, ½ teaspoon pepper, and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and cook until beef mixture is dry, about 1 minute. Off heat, stir in 2 cups Monterey Jack. Scrape mixture into 13 by 9-inch baking dish, pressing into even layer.
- Combine flour, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper in bowl. Slowly whisk milk into flour mixture until smooth; set aside. Using stand mixer fitted with whisk, whip egg whites on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium-high and whip until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes. Whisk one-third whipped egg whites into batter, then gently fold in remaining whites, 1 scoop at a time, until combined.
- Pour batter over beef mixture. Bake until topping is light golden and puffed, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining ½ cup cheese and bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Let cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. Serve.
Time
1½ hoursYield
Serves 6 to 8Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped fine
2 pounds 90 percent lean ground beef
4 poblano chiles (or 6 Anaheim), stemmed, seeded, and chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 ¼ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
¾ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 (10-ounce) can Ro-Tel tomatoes, drained
10 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (2 ½ cups)
½ cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup skim milk
2 large egg whites
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped fine
2 pounds 90 percent lean ground beef
4 poblano chiles (or 6 Anaheim), stemmed, seeded, and chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 ¼ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
¾ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 (10-ounce) can Ro-Tel tomatoes, drained
10 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (2 ½ cups)
½ cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup skim milk
2 large egg whites
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped fine
2 pounds 90 percent lean ground beef
4 poblano chiles (or 6 Anaheim), stemmed, seeded, and chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 ¼ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
¾ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 (10-ounce) can Ro-Tel tomatoes, drained
10 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (2 ½ cups)
½ cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup skim milk
2 large egg whites
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Traditional chiles rellenos may be delicious, but preparing them is no small task. First the chiles are roasted, next they’re stuffed with a cheesy beef filling, and finally they’re dipped into batter and fried until they’re golden and crisp—not to mention the step of making a spicy tomato sauce to serve with the peppers. Instead, we captured each of these elements in a casserole with a fraction of the fuss. We combined sautéed chiles, beef, and piquant Ro-tel tomatoes and finished the dish off with a baked puffed egg white and cheese topping.
Before You Begin
If you can’t find Ro-Tel tomatoes, use 1 cup of drained diced tomatoes combined with 1 finely chopped, stemmed, and seeded jalapeño.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in beef, breaking up meat into small pieces, and cook until no longer pink, 8 to 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer beef mixture to paper towel–lined plate. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from skillet.
- Add poblanos and cook over medium-high heat until browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in beef mixture, garlic, cumin, ¾ teaspoon salt, oregano, ½ teaspoon pepper, and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and cook until beef mixture is dry, about 1 minute. Off heat, stir in 2 cups Monterey Jack. Scrape mixture into 13 by 9-inch baking dish, pressing into even layer.
- Combine flour, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper in bowl. Slowly whisk milk into flour mixture until smooth; set aside. Using stand mixer fitted with whisk, whip egg whites on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium-high and whip until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes. Whisk one-third whipped egg whites into batter, then gently fold in remaining whites, 1 scoop at a time, until combined.
- Pour batter over beef mixture. Bake until topping is light golden and puffed, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining ½ cup cheese and bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Let cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. Serve.
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