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:

• 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:

• Position an oven rack directly underneath the broiler and preheat the broiler.
• In a small mixing bowl, combine the Mexican crema, hot sauce, lime zest and juice and salt to taste; stir to combine. Set aside to let the flavors meld together.
• Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chorizo and onions, stirring occasionally, until cooked through and slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from the skillet with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate. Set aside until ready to stuff the roasted poblanos.
• Place the poblanos on a baking sheet and broil, turning once, until the skin is blistered and blackened, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Put the charred poblanos in a medium heatproof bowl, then cover with plastic wrap and let steam for 10 minutes. Peel and rub away the skins of the poblanos, then gently dry using a paper towel. Cut a 2-inch lengthwise slit in the center of each poblano and carefully cut out the seeds with kitchen shears, leaving the stems intact.
• Stuff each poblano with the chorizo and cheese, dividing evenly. Gently close the opening using 2 to 3 toothpicks to keep the filling from falling out.
• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil until a deep-fry thermometer reaches 375 degrees F. Position a wire rack on a baking sheet.
• Meanwhile, add the egg whites to a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat until medium peaks form. With the mixer on low, add the egg yolks and 1 tablespoon flour and mix until completely incorporated. The batter should be smooth and fluffy.
• Sprinkle the poblanos with salt, then dredge in the remaining 1/2 cup flour, tapping to shake off any excess; dip into the batter until fully coated. Gently add the poblano to the hot oil and fry in batches to not overcrowd the skillet. Cook until golden brown and crispy, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to the wire rack to drain. Serve warm on a platter and drizzle with the spicy lime crema and a side of yellow rice, if using.

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.

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, and place the peppers onto the prepared baking sheet.
• Cook under the preheated broiler until the skin of the peppers has blackened and blistered, 8 to 10 minutes per side. When the peppers are about 80 percent blackened, place them a plastic bag, seal, and allow the peppers to steam as they cool, about 20 minutes. Once cool, remove the skins and discard. Cut a slit lengthwise into the side of each pepper, and remove seeds and veins. To reduce spiciness, rinse out any remaining seeds with water. Pat the peppers dry with paper towels.
• Mix together the shredded mozzarella, Monterey Jack, and Cheddar cheese in a bowl until thoroughly blended. Divide the cheese into 4 portions, and squeeze each portion lightly in your hands to make a cone shape. Insert a cone into the slit in each pepper, and pin the openings closed with toothpicks. Dredge each pepper in flour, dust off the excess, and place on a small baking sheet lined with parchment paper or waxed paper. Place the peppers in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.
• To make sauce, blend the stewed tomatoes in a blender until pureed, and set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat, and cook and stir the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cook and stir for about 30 seconds, and pour in the pureed tomatoes, chicken broth, vinegar, oregano, cumin, black pepper, hot pepper sauce, and cinnamon. Reduce to medium-low, and simmer the sauce until reduced by half and thickened, about 20 minutes, stirring often.
• Preheat an oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C), and warm a platter in the oven.
• To make batter and finish the chiles rellenos, mix 1/3 cup flour with salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until the whites form stiff peaks. Lightly mix the egg yolk and flour-salt mixture into the egg whites to make a fluffy batter. Remove peppers from freezer and coat them in flour again; shake off excess flour, and dip each pepper into the egg batter, using a spoon to gently but completely coat each pepper with batter.
• Heat frying oil in a heavy cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers. Gently lay the coated peppers into the hot oil, and fry on both sides until the batter is golden brown and the cheese filling is hot, about 5 minutes per side. Remove peppers to warmed platter while you finish frying. To serve, ladle a generous spoonful of sauce onto plate, and place pepper on sauce. Serve peppers hot with a dollop of sour cream.

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:

• 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.