Chile Relleno Casserole

This is the BEST chile relleno casserole! Made with fire-roasted green chiles, eggs and cheese, it’s a savory breakfast bake for Sunday brunch.

PIN THIS CHILE RELLENO CASSEROLE FOR LATER!

This easy breakfast bake was adapted from a recipe my sister Rachelle shared with me over 20 years ago. She got it from her friend Kathy. I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as we have!

Like tater tot breakfast casserole, it’s a perfect make-ahead breakfast. Served with warm corn tortillas and sausage links or crispy bacon, this green chili casserole is ideal for breakfast tacos.

chile relleno casserole ingredients

This easy breakfast casserole is assembled with common refrigerator and pantry staples. If you don’t have one or more of the listed ingredients, check the “ingredient swaps” section of this post before running to the market!

• Poblano Pepper: Gives this breakfast casserole a mild Mexican flavor.
• White Onion: This is the type we use for this dish in Mexico.
• Olive Oil: We use this oil for sautéing the onion. But if you don’t have it on hand, use canola oil or vegetable oil instead.
• Large Eggs: Are essential for this breakfast casserole. They provide structure, texture and richness.
• All-purpose Flour: Thickens the mixture so the casserole is not runny.
• Baking Powder: Provides lift and and a fluffy texture.
• Sea Salt: This seasoning enhances the flavor of the other ingredients.
• Freshly-ground Black Pepper: Adds depth of flavor and spice.
• Paprika: Adds a rustic smoky flavor to the dish.
• Cottage Cheese: Adds richness and creaminess to the breakfast bake.
• Pepper Jack Cheese: I recommended buying a block of cheese and shredding it on a cheese grater at home. Pre-shredded cheese has a coating that prevents the pieces from sticking together. But this coating also prevents the cheese from melting well.
• Medium Cheddar Cheese: The preference is a block of cheese hand grated at home.
• Butter: Adds a buttery flavor and richness to the chile relleno casserole. It’s also used to butter the bottom and sides of the baking dish.
• OPTIONAL GARNISHES: cilantro, diced tomatoes

KITCHEN SMARTS: Flour and baking powder in this green chili casserole allow it to puff up, providing gentle lift and awesome texture. It also makes this dish easy to slice into squares for serving!

INGREDIENT SWAPS FOR THIS RECIPE

During these stay-at-home times, it’s important to use the ingredients we already have on hand rather than make an extra trip to the market.

Here are some ingredient substitutions!

• POBLANO CHILES: Hatch chiles or Anaheim chiles.
• QUICK SWAP FOR HOME-ROASTED CHILES: Two cans fire-roasted diced green chiles. Use one 4-oz can plus one 7-oz can, drained.
• WHITE ONION: Yellow onion or shallots.
• COTTAGE CHEESE: Ricotta cheese.
• PEPPER JACK CHEESE: Monterey Jack or Mozzarella cheese.
• MEDIUM CHEDDAR CHEESE: Colby Jack.
• BUTTER: Use margarine for the recipe, and cooking spray to grease the baking dish.

COOKING SMARTS: Once baked, the texture of the cottage cheese in this recipe is barely noticeable. It adds a unique flavor that’s super tasty!

HOW TO ROAST poblano peppers – 2 ways

Here are two easy methods for roasting poblano peppers at home.

For this authentic chile relleno casserole, we want the awesome flavor that comes from fresh fire-roasted green chiles! The taste and texture of freshly-roasted poblano chiles is more amazing than chiles from a store-bought can.

Here are two easy methods for roasting poblano peppers at home.

OPEN-FLAME METHOD

This is the authentic method for roasting chiles for Mexican recipes. It’s done on the gas stovetop over an open flame. The process is very quick! You can also roast several chiles at a time on a BBQ.

1. On the stovetop, work with one chile at a time. Rest the poblano pepper directly over the stovetop grate. Turn on the burner to medium-high.
2. Allow skin of the chile to blacken and blister, but not catch fire. With stainless-steel tongs, rotate the pepper over the flame so all sides are roasted. The skins will be dark green with patches of black. Depending on size, this takes about 2-3 minutes per chile.

OVEN-BROILER METHOD

Using your oven broiler is an easy way to roast and blister the skins of green chiles for this chile relleno casserole. You can roast chiles in a toaster oven!

1. Adjust oven rack to a top position (either the first or second slot, depending on the height of the chiles). Preheat the broiler. On a baking tray, arrange poblano peppers in a single layer, leaving a bit of space between each.
2. Roast them under the broiler for 5-10 minutes, rotating them frequently with a long pair of kitchen tongs. They’re done when the green skins have bubbled up and blistered, with some blackened areas on all sides.

CHILE PEPPER IQ: The heat of a chile is concentrated in the veins and seeds. Once removed from poblano chiles, they become even more mild. The flavor of this green chili casserole is also mild and perfect for the whole family.

HOW TO REMOVE SKIN FROM POBLANO CHILES

1. Immediately place the steaming-hot blackened poblanos inside a large zip-top bag. Seal the bag and set it aside for 10 minutes. The steam inside the bag will help loosen up the skins.
2. Remove the peppers and transfer to a board. Use paper towels to rub off the charred skin, or use a knife to scrape it off.
3. Slice the stems off the chiles, and the ends at the bottom. Open them up. Scrape out the seeds and veins. The poblano peppers are now perfectly prepped for this chile relleno casserole recipe!

KITCHEN TIPS: Poblano chiles are mild. But when handling chiles of any type, never touch your eyes. Afterwards, clean your hands, fingernails, and work surface thoroughly with soap and water.

chile relleno casserole recipe

RECIPE PREP: Adjust oven rack to the center position. Preheat oven to 350°F. With butter, grease bottom and sides of an 8 x 8 baking dish.

PAN SIZE FOR DOUBLING THE RECIPE: If doubling this recipe, use a 9×13 baking dish or two 8 x 8 square bakers.

• STEP 1: Add olive oil to a small skillet over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add onions to the pan with a pinch of salt and a few twists of freshly-ground pepper. Sauté until tender and fragrant, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.
• STEP 2: Crack eggs into a batter bowl and beat them well. Add flour, baking powder, salt and paprika to the bowl. Whisk until smooth with no lumps. Add onion, cottage cheese, melted butter. Mix briefly.
• STEP 3: Add chiles and shredded cheeses to the bowl. With a rubber spatula, mix until incorporated.
• STEP 4: Pour casserole mixture into prepared baking dish. Bake uncovered for 45-48 minutes, or until it’s no longer jiggly. The breakfast casserole should be golden blonde on the top and edges, and well set in the middle. Allow it to cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing into squares.

WAYS TO ENJOY CHILE RELLENO CASSEROLE

This dish is super versatile! I usually make 2 at a time in square bakers. I serve one then keep the other as a make-ahead breakfast casserole.

Here’s how we enjoy this recipe at my house.

• BREAKFAST TACOS: Chile relleno casserole is perfect for making breakfast tacos! Scoop a spoonful into the middle of a warm corn tortilla along with your choice of breakfast meat: sausage links, sausage patties, crispy bacon, or thin pieces of pan-fried ham.
• SUNDAY BRUNCH: Serve this dish with a variety of other offerings like bacon, breakfast potatoes, waffles and fresh fruit.
• APPETIZERS: Cut this green chili casserole into tiny squares and arrange them on a small platter. These bite-size appetizers are like crustless mini quiche! Perfect for dinner parties and all occasions.
• DINNER ENTREE: Like an enchilada or a puffy fried chile relleno, squares of this breakfast bake can be served as an entree. For a Mexican meal, pair it up with rice and beans.

EXPERT TIPS FOR RECIPE SUCCESS

• GRATE YOUR OWN CHEESE: Pre-shredded cheese is covered in a coating to keep it from clumping together. Because it doesn’t melt as smoothly as hand grated, breakfast casseroles can end up oily on the top and sides.
• GREAT ADD-INS FOR CHILE RELLENO CASSEROLE: Chopped crispy bacon, cooked breakfast sausage, red bell peppers and mushrooms.
• OVERNIGHT BREAKFAST CASSEROLE: Assemble the chile relleno casserole. But instead of baking it, cover the dish tightly with foil and refrigerate overnight.
• MAKE-AHEAD BREAKFAST CASSEROLE: This green chili egg casserole is and ideal make-ahead recipe. After it cools, cover it tightly with foil and refrigerate. Then reheat the whole dish, or rewarm individual portions.
• HOW LONG CAN EGG CASSEROLE SIT OUT? For food safety, follow these important FDA guidelines.
• HOW LONG CAN YOU KEEP BREAKFAST CASSEROLE IN THE FRIDGE? When made with fresh ingredients and stored in an air-tight container, leftovers can stay fresh in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• CAN YOU FREEZE BREAKFAST CASSEROLE? Yes. It freezes very well. After it has completely cooled, transfer this breakfast bake to an air-tight container or a gallon-size freezer bag. Store it flat in the freezer. For the best taste and texture rewarm and enjoy within 2 to 3 weeks.

more breakfast recipes to make asap

If you enjoyed this breakfast bake, you’ll love these other recipes too!

• HUEVOS RANCHEROS
• HOMEMADE SAUSAGE EGG MCMUFFIN
• CHARRED TOMATOES AND EGG ON AVOCADO TOAST
• EGGS IN PURGATORY
• JALAPENO BACON DEVILED EGGS

I WANT WHAT SHE HAS

Beautiful cooking tools bring happiness to the kitchen! They make meal prep a joyful experience. Did you see something here you’d like to own?

Below are affiliate links for purchasing the items on Amazon.

• GLASS BATTER BOWL
• JOHN BOOS CUTTING BOARD
• WHITE 8X8 SQUARE BAKER
• MEASURING SPOONS
• BAKING TRAY
• STAINLESS STEEL TONGS
• STAUB MINI FRYING PAN

CHILI RELLENO CASSEROLE > RATE THIS RECIPE ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My family say this is the best chile relleno casserole! If you agree, give this flavorful dish a 5-star rating in the comments.

Print

CHILE RELLENO CASSEROLE > join the conversation

Do you have a favorite breakfast casserole you make and serve time and again? What do you think about this chile relleno casserole? Share your thoughts on the best breakfast bake for brunch!