CHILE RELLENO CASSEROLE WITH CHORIZO

Chile Relleno Casserole with Chorizo image

Number Of Ingredients 12

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Ingredients

8 Poblano chilies
2 tablespoons Olive oil
1 cup onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
28 ounce Tomatoes, canned
2 pounds Chorizo, Mexican
2-3 cups Monterey jack cheese, shredded
1 tablespoon Oregano, fresh, minced
9 Eggs
3 tablespoons Flour
3/4 tablespoon Baking powder
1 cup Cheddar cheese, mild, shredded

Steps:

Heat a gas grill (or broiler) to high.
Wash and dry the chiles and place them on the grill. Close the lid to maintain a high heat. Turn the chiles occasionally so they will be blackened and blistered on all sides. These really need to get quite blackened for them to peel off easily. Don't try to peel until truly cool.
Put the chiles in a paper bag. Fold the top over and let them cool for at least 15 minutes. (Longer is OK.) Note: We have found it better to cut the peppers in half and to layer them flat in the casserole instead of trying to stuff them. With 8 chiles I can get two complete layers of chiles in the casserole.
Preheat the oven to 375˚.
Heat the oil in a large skillet and add the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute.
Add the tomatoes. Break the tomatoes up if they are whole or are in large pieces. Bring to a simmer and simmer for about 15 - 20 minutes. Salt to taste. (Mine needed about ½ teaspoon salt since my tomatoes were unsalted.)
Spread a layer of the tomato sauce in the bottom of a baking dish. (I felt there was too much sauce for my 2 quart pan, so I reserved about 1 cup of it for another use.)
Peel the blackened skin off of the chiles. Cut the tops off and cut them in half. Remove the seeds. Set the chiles aside.
Using the same pan that you used for the tomato sauce, cook the chorizo over medium heat. Break it up into small pieces and cook until done, about 4 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine the chorizo, ¾ cup Monterrey Jack cheese (or cotija), and the oregano.
With 2 to 3 quart casserole, first layer on bottom of dish is the tomato mixture. Squish down a bit. Next, lay one layer of poblanos on top of tomatoes. Then a layer of the chorizo mixture and on top of that another layer of the peppers. Put remaining chorizo mixture on top of last layer of peppers.
In a large bowl, vigorously whisk the eggs.
Whisk in the flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt.
Sprinkle chiles with half of the jack or cheddar cheese.
Pour egg mixture over last layer of chorizo.
Sprinkle with remaining cheese, covering all of the dish.
Bake until top starts to brown and the eggs are set but still soft, about 30 to 45 minutes.