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Chile Relleno Casserole

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Chile Relleno Casserole is a delicious dish of roasted poblano peppers baked in a cheesy egg mixture. This recipe is the ultimate comfort food!

Relleno (pronounced reh-YEH-no) is a pepper stuffed with cheese, dipped in egg batter, and fried. This recipe deconstructs the relleno and bakes it all in one dish!

Because this dish is eggy, but not TOO eggy, it is great as either a dinner dish OR a breakfast dish!

If you love Southwest cuisine, you are going to love this twist on a classic Mexican dish. Poblano peppers are very mild, so anyone will be able to enjoy this Mexican casserole

Chile Relleno Casserole

Chile Relleno Casserole Ingredients

To make this chile rellenos recipe, you will need the following ingredients (see the recipe card below for exact amounts):

  • Poblano peppers
  • olive oil
  • eggs
  • evaporated milk
  • all-purpose flour
  • salt
  • cumin
  • paprika powder
  • baking powder
  • Monterey Jack cheese
Chile Relleno Casserole Ingredients

How to Make Chile Relleno Casserole

You will be sitting at the oven waiting for the timer to go off when the aroma of roasted poblanos starts to fill the house. This recipe can take some time, especially if you are not well versed in peeling peppers. Read my tips below on how to prep peppers ahead of time.

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large baking pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
  2. Remove the stems and slice the peppers on one side lengthwise, leaving the peppers intact, and then remove the seeds. Place the Poblano peppers on the baking pan evenly spaced then drizzle on the olive oil. Use your hands to coat them well.
  3. Bake for 20 minutes. Flip the peppers over and bake for 10 more minutes or until the tops have charred a bit.
  4. In the meantime, whisk together the eggs, milk, flour, salt, cumin, paprika and baking powder in a large bowl then set aside.
  5. Once the peppers are done, reduce the oven heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Let the peppers cool until you can safely handle them then remove the skin and slice each pepper in thirds lengthwise.
  6. Pour 1/3 of the egg mixture into a 9 by 13-inch baking pan or a casserole dish then add ½ of the peppers on top along with 1/3 of the cheese sprinkled on top.
  7. Pour half of the remaining egg mixture on top followed by the remaining pepper slices.
  8. Pour on the remaining egg mixture followed by the remaining cheese and cover loosely with aluminum foil then bake for 20 minutes.
  9. Remove the foil and bake again for 15-20 minutes or until the center no longer jiggles. Slice and serve with freshly chopped cilantro for garnish if desired. Note: the casserole will deflate after it comes out of the oven.
Poblano Pepper Casserole

Recipe Tips

  • Roast the peppers ahead of time. Peeling the peppers can be a tedious task, especially if it’s your first time. You can roast and peel the poblano peppers, and refrigerate until you are ready to bake the dish.
  • Make sure the peppers are covered with oil. Fully coated peppers will roast more evenly. You want the skin to have a wrinkly appearance. This will make it so much easier to peel.
  • Use gloves to peel the peppers. As with all peppers, handle them with care. Even though poblanos are considered mild peppers, they can still irritate your soft tissues (nose and eyes). Using gloves keeps the pepper from getting on your fingers.

Do I Have to Peel the Poblano Peppers?

When you roast poblano peppers, the skin becomes papery and tough to eat. While you should peel them for the best experience, eating the skin will not harm you. Leaving the skin on could ruin the taste of the casserole. It is okay if you leave a little on, as it can be difficult to get all of the skin off.

Storage Instructions

This casserole can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.

Variations

For a more flavorful and spicier dish, try roasted Hatch green chile. These New Mexico peppers are seasonal and can be hard to find if you live in other parts of the country, but they are soooo good. Green chile can be super spicy but is loaded with flavor. The canned green chile in the grocery store has nothing on fresh roasted pepper. It is addicting! 

Stuffed Pepper Casserole

What to Serve with Poblano Pepper Casserole

While this dish could be eaten as a main meal, rellenos are traditionally a side dish. Try serving with one of these yummy Mexican recipes:

Chile Rellenos Casserole

Chile Relleno Casserole

Chile Relleno Casserole is a delicious dish of roasted poblano peppers baked in a cheesy egg mixture. This recipe is the ultimate comfort food!
4.50 from 4 votes
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Course Mexican
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 9
Calories 240 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 8 large Poblano peppers
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 eggs
  • 12 oz can evaporated milk
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon paprika powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • 8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese freshly shredded

Instructions
 

  • Remove the stems and slice the peppers on one side lengthwise, leaving the peppers intact, and then remove the seeds.
  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large baking pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
  • Place the Poblano peppers on the baking pan evenly spaced, then drizzle on the olive oil. Use your hands to coat them well.
  • Bake for 20 minutes. Flip the peppers over and bake for 10 more minutes or until the tops have charred a bit.
  • In the meantime, whisk together the eggs, milk, flour, salt, cumin, paprika and baking powder in a large bowl then set aside.
  • Once the peppers are done, reduce the oven heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Let the peppers cool until you can safely handle them then remove the skin and slice each pepper in thirds lengthwise.
  • Pour 1/3 of the egg mixture into a 9 by 13-inch baking pan or a casserole dish then add ½ of the peppers on top along with 1/3 of the cheese sprinkled on top.
  • Pour half of the remaining egg mixture on top followed by the remaining pepper slices.
  • Pour on the remaining egg mixture followed by the remaining cheese and cover loosely with aluminum foil then bake for 20 minutes.
  • Remove the foil and bake again for 15-20 minutes or until the center no longer jiggles.
  • Slice and serve with freshly chopped cilantro for garnish if desired.

Notes

  • Roast the peppers ahead of time. Peeling the peppers can be a tedious task, especially if it's your first time. You can roast and peel the poblano peppers, and refrigerate until you are ready to bake the dish.
  • Use gloves to peel the peppers. As with all peppers, handle them with care. Even though poblanos are considered mild peppers, they can still irritate your soft tissues (nose and eyes). Using gloves keeps the pepper from getting on your fingers.
  • Nutrition

    Serving: 1Calories: 240kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 13gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 106mgSodium: 365mgPotassium: 424mgFiber: 3gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 985IUVitamin C: 118mgCalcium: 320mgIron: 1mg

    The nutrition information is calculated using online nutrition calculators and may not be accurate. It is provided as a general guide only.

    Tried this recipe?Mention @emilyenchantedfood or tag #emilyenchanted!

    The recipe and photos contained herein are the property of Emily Enchanted© and may not be copied.

    4.50 from 4 votes (3 ratings without comment)
    Recipe Rating




    Penny Dietrick

    Tuesday 23rd of August 2022

    I’m in the process of making this…….AGAIN…..for the third time :) It’s super easy and I crank my gas grill up and roast the peppers at 500 🔥 The only things I’ve changed is I use smoked paprika (addicted to the smokiness) and I add quesadilla seasoning when cooking ground beef before adding it to the casserole. Then I serve it with red enchilada sauce on top. I’m drooling as I think about it! LOL ! THANK YOU for sharing this fantastic recipe!

    Emily

    Thursday 25th of August 2022

    @Penny Dietrick, that sounds amazing!

    Emily Enchanted

    Thursday 4th of August 2022

    I love this recipe because it molds together my two homes - Wisconsin and New Mexico.

    Diana

    Saturday 23rd of April 2022

    This is by far easiest recipe I have tried without having to make the actual Chile rellenos. My husband loved and says he would prefer to eat like this all the time instead of me going through tedious old_fashioned way! Thanks for sharing short cut.

    Emily Enchanted

    Sunday 24th of April 2022

    @Diana, thank you! I'm so happy you love it!

    Mary

    Thursday 28th of October 2021

    Can breast meat be shredded and added to this? Any adjustments needed?

    Emily Enchanted

    Thursday 28th of October 2021

    @Mary, ooh that sounds good! If you are adding cooked, shredded chicken, then I do not think you need to make any adjustments as far as cooking time.

    Paula Geist

    Wednesday 27th of October 2021

    Why evaporated milk?? Why not regular milk?

    Emily Enchanted

    Wednesday 27th of October 2021

    @Paula Geist, it is thicker and creamier! :)