Chile Relleno Strata Recipes

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, toss together the cheddar and monterey jack cheese. Set aside.
• In another medium bowl, beat the eggs, milk, smoked paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper until thoroughly combined.
• Lay the chilies on a cutting board and cut them in half.
• Select the version you're making below and continue.
• Full-on veggie version
• Grease an 8" x 8" baking pan with butter or non-stick cooking spray.
• Lay half the chilies flat in the bottom of the baking dish (about 6 chili halves). Lay four slices of bread over the chiles. Pour half the egg mixture over the top of the bread and chilies. Top with half the cheese. Repeat layers: chilies, bread, eggs, and cheese. Sprinkle evenly with a few quick dashes of smoked paprika.
• Continue to "Refrigerate overnight and then bake" step below.
• Brown 1/2 pound chorizo in a medium saute pan over medium heat until cooked through. Drain. Set aside.
• One half-size veggie version/one half-size meaty version
• Grease two approximately 4" x 8'' baking pans/casserole dishes with butter or non-stick cooking spray.
• Lay half the chilies in the bottom of the baking dish (about 3 chili halves each). Lay four slices of bread over the chiles (2 slices of bread per dish). Sprinkle half of the sausage over the meaty version. Top each with about 1/2 cup of the egg mixture. Sprinkle about 1/3 cup of cheese onto each. Repeat layers: chilies, bread, sausage on the sausage version, the rest of the eggs divided evenly between, and the remaining cheese. Sprinkle with a couple of pinches of smoked paprika.
• Continue to "Refrigerate overnight and then bake" step below.
• Brown 1 pound chorizo in a medium saute pan over medium heat until cooked through. Drain. Set aside.
• Full-on meaty version
• Grease an 8" x 8" baking pan with butter or non-stick cooking spray.
• Lay half the chilies flat in the bottom of the baking dish (about 6 chili halves). Lay four slices of bread over the chiles. Sprinkle on half the browned chorizo. Pour half the egg mixture over the top of the bread, chilies, and sausage. Top with half the cheese. Repeat layers: chilies, bread, sausage, eggs, and cheese. Sprinkle evenly with a few quick dashes of smoked paprika.
• Continue to "Refrigerate overnight and then bake" step below.
• Refrigerate overnight and then bake
• Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight, or for at least three hours.
• In the morning, uncover and bake at 325 degrees for 40 - 50 minutes, until the strata is puffy, golden, and no longer jiggles in the middle.
• Serve with optional toppings if desired.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven's broiler and set the oven rack at about 6 inches from the heat source. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place peppers onto the prepared baking sheet, and cook under the preheated broiler until the skin of the peppers has blackened and blistered, about 10 minutes. Turn the peppers often to blacken all sides. Place the blackened peppers into a bowl, and tightly seal with plastic wrap. Allow the peppers to steam as they cool, about 15 minutes.
• Rinse cooled peppers under cold water to peel off the skins, and cut a slit along the long side of each pepper to remove the seeds and core. Rinse the peppers inside and out, and pat dry with paper towels. Stuff the peppers with strips of the cheese.
• Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl with the baking powder. In a second metal bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until the whites form stiff peaks. Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the yolk mixture. Place flour into a shallow bowl.
• Heat the vegetable shortening in a skillet over medium heat. Roll each stuffed pepper in flour, tap off excess flour, and dip the peppers into the egg mixture to coat both sides. Gently lay the coated peppers into the hot shortening. Fry peppers until lightly golden brown and the cheese has melted, about 5 minutes per side.

Steps:

• If you have a gas stove, lay one poblano at a time over high heat, turning occasionally, until the skin is black on all sides, about 8 minutes. Repeat with each poblano. Alternatively, turn on the oven to high broil. Once heated, place poblanos on the top rack and broil until the skin is black on all sides, about 8 minutes. Place in a heatproof bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside until chiles are cool enough to handle, about 10 to 15 minutes. Peel off skins, remove seeds, and cut chiles into large dice.
• Heat oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add onion, seasoning well with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and cook until tender and translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes. Set aside.
• Butter a 13-by-9-inch baking dish; set aside. In a large bowl, combine bread, poblanos, sour cream, onion, salsa, and cilantro until everything is coated in sour cream. Put mixture into the baking dish and set aside.
• Whisk eggs with half-and-half in a separate large bowl; season with kosher salt and a good amount of freshly ground black pepper. Pour custard over bread mixture. Cover and refrigerate strata overnight.
• Heat oven to 350°F Remove strata from the refrigerator about 20 to 30 minutes before you plan to bake it. Bake strata until it is puffed, golden brown, and slightly set in the center, about 50 to 55 minutes. Top with salsa and sour cream, as desired. Serve hot.

Steps:

• Rice and beans, for serving, if desired
• Heat grill to medium.
• Grill and char the chiles on both sides. Once blackened put in a plastic bag for 10 minutes to sweat out any moisture. Remove from the bag, slit them down the middle and remove the seeds. Stuff the peppers with the queso fresco and use toothpicks to hold them together.
• Separate the egg yolks from the whites. Add the egg whites to a large bowl. Reserve the egg yolks. Beat the egg whites with an electric beater until the whites fluff up. Add in the flour and the egg yolks and mix until completely incorporated.
• Add the oil to a frying pan over medium heat. Dip the stuffed peppers into the batter and fry until golden brown on both sides. Remove from the oil to a serving platter.
• Add the tomatoes and water to a small pot over medium heat. Simmer the tomatoes until soft and stir in the garlic and chicken broth powder.
• Add the 1/4 cup of oil to a frying pan, over low heat, and stir in the flour to make a roux mixture. Cook the flour until browned, then add the tomato sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes and then add the oregano.
• Pour the tomato sauce over the cooked chile rellenos on the serving platter and serve.
• If desired, serve with rice and beans.

Steps:

• Char the chiles.
• Turn a gas burner on high. Char the chiles on the burner grate, turning with tongs (Marcela is a pro and uses her hands!), until blackened all over. Or char the chiles under the broiler.
• Let them soften.
• Transfer the charred chiles to a heavy-duty resealable plastic bag and close. Let stand 10 minutes. The chiles will steam in the bag, making them soft and easy to peel.
• Remove the skin.
• Gently rub the chiles with paper towels to remove as much skin as possible. It's okay if a few flecks remain-they'll add flavor, so don't rinse them off.
• Open the chiles.
• Using a paring knife, make a slit across the top of a chile just below the stem, leaving the stem intact. Starting from the middle of the slit, slice lengthwise down to the tip of the pepper (cut through only one layer). Open the chile like a book and pull out the seeds and inner membranes. You may need to use a paring knife to loosen the top of the seedpod. Repeat with the remaining chiles.
• Prepare the sauce.
• Puree the tomatoes, onion and garlic in a blender until smooth. Warm the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the tomato puree and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally; the sauce will be broth-y. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm.
• Make the filling.
• Place the cheese in a bowl, then add the oregano, crumbling and rubbing it with your fingers to release its flavor. Season the mixture with salt and pepper.
• Stuff the chiles.
• Fill each chile with about 1/4 cup cheese mixture. Fold in the sides to cover the filling, then thread 2 toothpicks across the seam to form an X. You will probably need to make a second toothpick X to secure each chile so the filling doesn't leak out when you fry.
• Mix the batter.
• Beat the egg whites with a mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Add the egg yolk and beat 3 more minutes.
• Batter and fry.
• Heat about 1 inch vegetable oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 375 degrees F.
• Dredge: Pour flour into a shallow dish and season with salt and pepper. One at a time, coat the stuffed chiles with the flour.
• Batter: Holding each chile by the stem, lower it into the egg batter to cover completely. Let any excess batter drip off.
• Fry: Add the chiles to the hot oil, 1 or 2 at a time; fry, flipping once with tongs, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.
• Eat!
• Place a fried chile on each plate and pour the warm sauce over it. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Spread green chiles in a greased 11x7-in baking dish; sprinkle with olives, onion and cheese. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, biscuit mix, milk and pepper until blended. Stir in cottage cheese; pour over top., Bake, uncovered, until golden brown, puffed and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 45-50 minutes. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving. If desired, serve with salsa and sour cream., To Make Ahead: Refrigerate unbaked souffle, covered, several hours or overnight. To use, preheat oven to 350°. Remove souffle from refrigerator while oven heats. Bake, as directed, increasing time as necessary until golden, puffed and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high until almost smoking. Add chicken; cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
• Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in same skillet over medium-high. Cook onion, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 2 minutes. Add garlic; cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add tomatoes and bay leaves, and reduce heat to medium-low; simmer until tomatoes are soft, 15 minutes.
• Stir in raisins, olives, and capers; cook 3 minutes. Add chicken; cook 5 minutes. Stir in chopped herbs and almonds, and season with salt. Let cool. (Filling may be refrigerated up to 1 day in an airtight container. Before using, bring to room temperature; discard bay leaves.)
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roast poblanos directly over the flame of a gas-stove burner or under a broiler, turning often with tongs, until charred on all sides. Place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let stand for 15 minutes. When cool enough to handle, rub with a paper towel to remove skins, being careful not to tear the flesh. Cut a slit down the side of each poblano from stem to tip. Remove seeds, leaving stem intact.
• Spoon filling into each chile, dividing evenly; arrange in a baking dish. Bake until heated through, 15 minutes. Serve immediately with crema, cilantro sprigs, and lime wedges.