Baked chiles rellenos are a great alternative for those averse to frying at home. They are also perfect when you want to make chiles rellenos ahead, which just won’t work with traditional deep fried chiles rellenos since they get soggy when not served right away.

Baked chiles rellenos have all the flavors of traditional chiles rellenos with less work and fewer calories!

****************************************

Baked Chiles Rellenos Recipe

This recipe for baked chiles rellenos begins with freshly roasted poblano chiles. To save time, feel free to replace them with canned whole chiles. This recipe for Baked Chiles Rellenos also calls for beer in the batter, which helps to lighten it. If you prefer to cook without the beer, substitute seltzer water.

12 small Poblano chiles
1 3/4 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
6 large eggs, separated
2/3 cup beer, preferably Mexican
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon salt, to taste


Roast the chiles over a flame or under the broiler until charred on all sides. Place them in a covered bowl to sweat so the skins loosen and become easy to remove. Carefully peel the chiles while trying to keep the stems intact. With the tip of a small knife, make a slit along the length of the chiles and remove the seeds. The chiles will be slippery so this will take a bit of patience.

Mix the cheese and oregano in a small bowl. Stuff the cheese mixture into each chile and press the opening closed. Place the stuffed chiles on a plate lined with a layer of paper towels and refrigerate for at least one hour to allow the cheese filling to chill.

When you are ready to prepare the baked chiles rellenos, preheat your oven to 400 F degrees. Grease a shallow rectangular baking dish large enough to hold the stuffed chiles snuggled side by side to one another and set it aside while you prepare the batter.

In a medium-size mixing bowl beat the egg whites until they hold soft peaks. In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks, beer, flour, and salt until well blended and smooth. Fold the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture.

Spread half the batter into the prepared baking dish. Lay the chiles in a single layer over the batter. Cover the chiles with the remaining batter. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown on top. Serve with your favorite sauce or salsa.

This Baked Chiles Rellenos Recipe serves 6

Baked Chiles Rellenos Variations

Try stuffing your chiles rellenos with one of these contemporary alternatives:

*Refried beans and cheese
*Shredded chicken and chopped green onion
*Sautéed vegetable medley such as chopped onion, zucchini and corn