Food on Fridays

Chiles Rellenos

This is a dish I tried to make a few years ago, and Daniel was not crazy about it. But the other day, he brought home these beauties:


What could I do?

This is what I did...


Remove the tops and seeds, then blanch them in boiling water for just about ten minutes. (Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.)

Meanwhile, brown about a pound of ground beef in a skillet with a chopped onion and a few chopped tomatoes. Salt and pepper to taste. (I use very lean beef, so there's really not any fat to drain off.)


Then add 2 or 3 shredded potatoes or frozen julienne potatoes, cover and let cook until the potatoes are tender. If you want them a little hot, sprinkle the meat mixture with chile powder, or pour some hotsauce over it. Yum! (I'm cooking for children too, so I didn't.)

Drain the chiles and stuff with the meat mixture, placing them carefully into a greased baking pan. Choose a pan that will just fit all of them, so that the chiles are touching. This supports them so that they stay stuffed, and it also keeps them cozy. :o)



Top each chile with the cheese of your choice. I had extra stuffing left over, so I "stuffed" it in between the chiles in the pan.

Then pop them into the oven for about 45 minutes. If you want, you can make it look more like a casserole and sprinkle shredded cheese over the whole thing. I didn't have that much cheese on hand, though.


I can't remember how I made chiles rellenos last time, but this recipe was a winner with my husband and the children, too! We served it with homemade salsa and guacamole.

It was very filling, and no one could eat more than one chile. So the portion size is easy to plan for the number of people you are going to serve.


It's a colorful, slightly exotic meal that was really inexpensive to make. I might make these again next time we have guests!