Easy Chile Relleno Casserole

Name: Poblano Chile Relleno Casserole
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 8 poblano peppers; ½ pound ground sausage; ½ cup cream cheese, room temperature; 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese; 1/2 cup cornmeal; 1/2 cup flour; 1 teaspoon baking powder; ½ teaspoon kosher salt; 2 cups milk; 4 eggs; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 2 chopped scallions, for serving; salsa, for serving (optional)

Published: Sep 17, 2020 · Last updated: Jun 19, 2024

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Inspired by the classic Mexican dish, this Easy Poblano Chile Relleno Casserole bakes poblano peppers, cheese, and sausage into an eggy filling. It's a comforting dish for everything from brunch to dinner.

serving dish of chile relleno casserole with plate and salsa

Poblanos are one of my favorite peppers to grow in the garden. They offer more flavor than bell peppers yet are nearly as mild. Poblanos are rich and earthy with a touch of smokiness. And they're the traditional pepper used to make chile rellenos, which inspired this casserole recipe.

This is not the traditional dish. Chile rellenos (stuffed chiles) are made by roasting or charring poblanos, bringing out the peppers' flavor and making them easy to peel. After peeling, the softened peppers are stuffed with cheese, coated in a batter, and deep-fried until the outside is golden and the inside is nice and melty. Here's an interesting overview of the recipe's history, and while I haven't tried it, this recipe looks worth making if you want to experience an authentic dish.

✨Why you'll love this recipe

This chile relleno casserole is baked, not fried, like the traditional dish, which means there's less hassle and mess than deep frying. I wanted to make the dish easier and more practical for everyday home cooking.
With eggs, cheese, peppers, and sausage, this casserole makes a good meal for any occasion - brunch, lunch, or dinner. It would be a good item to take on a picnic, too.
Have a bunch of poblanos to use? This recipe requires eight peppers, which is helpful for gardeners looking to cook through their harvest.

Looking for more pepper recipes? You can use them in my Ground Chicken Sloppy Joes, Roasted Salsa Verde, and add them to this Chili Sin Carne.

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✨Why you'll love this recipe
🫑Ingredients
🔥Substitutions & Variations
🔪Instructions
🌡️Top Tip
🥡Storage
💭FAQ
🍅Pairing
📖 Recipe
🍠Related Recipes

🫑Ingredients

Here's everything you need to make this chile relleno casserole.

Key Ingredients

Poblano peppers are good for stuffing and roasting because they're thick-skinned like bell peppers. They have an earthy and slightly smoky flavor and can come in shades of purple, black, green, and brown, as they grow and ripen. Poblanos originated from the state of Puebla, the fourth largest city in Mexico. There, they're used both fresh and dried and are one of the country’s most popular peppers. (Note: If you're wondering why the ones in my photo look different, it's because they're frozen and have some ice coating them.)
Ground sausage will stuff the peppers, along with cheese. Use whatever variety of sausage you enjoy best.
Cheddar cheese is in the stuffed peppers and on top of the casserole. Cheddar melts nicely, though it's not the only cheese that would work well here. Opt for a block of cheddar and grate it yourself.
Cream cheese will keep the filling creamy and gooey.
Eggs, along with milk, are used to make the batter in which the peppers rest. The result is similar in texture to a frittata.
Cornmeal and flour will add substance and texture to the egg batter that makes up the casserole.

See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and quantities.

🔥Substitutions & Variations

Have time? Roast your poblanos. Turn the broiler to high and place whole poblano peppers on a baking sheet as closely under the broiler as you can. Allow the skins to char for 2-3 minutes per side. Rotate and repeat so that all of the skin is blackened. Place the peppers in a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap to steam. Peel as much skin off of the steamed peppers as you can. Proceed with the recipe as written.
Make it vegetarian. Leave out the sausage. You could include more cheese or use browned and crumbled tempeh.
Try other cheeses. Such as Queso Fresco, Monterey Jack, and Cojita. Or use a combination of cheeses.

🔪Instructions

Here's how to make this poblano chile casserole.

sausage, cream cheese, and cheddar cheese in bowls

Step 1: Combine the sausage, cream cheese, and half of the cheddar in a bowl. Stir to mix well.

cornmeal and flour in bowl with whisk and other ingredients

Step 2: In another bowl, make the batter. Combine the flour, cornmeal, salt, and baking powder.

milk being poured into the batter mixture

Step 3: Whisk in the milk.

Step 4: Whisk in the eggs one at a time until the batter is smooth.

Step 5: Cut the poblanos in half, and remove the stems and seeds. Line the bottom of a greased baking dish with half the pepper pieces.

Step 6: Top the peppers with the sausage and cheese filling.

Step 7: Cover with the remaining pepper halves.

batter being poured over the poblano peppers

Step 8: Pour the batter over the top of the peppers. Tap the pan lightly on the counter to settle the batter around the peppers.

cheddar being sprinkled over the chile relleno casserole

Step 9: Sprinkle over the remaining cheddar.

Step 10: Bake on a rack in the top third of the oven at 375 F for 40-45 minutes. The batter should be firm to the touch. Pop under the broiler briefly to brown the top, if desired.

🌡️Top Tip

Avoid overbaking the casserole, which will cause it to dry out. Check for doneness starting at 40 minutes in the oven. The center should be just set. If it's not browned to your liking, put it under the broiler for a minute or two rather than continuing to bake.

🥡Storage

Leftover chile relleno casserole can be stored, tightly covered, in the fridge for up to four days. Individual portions can be reheated in the microwave for about 2 minutes or in the oven at 350 F for 10-15 minutes.

Alternatively, free leftovers in individual portions for 2-3 months. Defrost in the fridge and reheat as described above.

💭FAQ

Do you have to peel poblano peppers before cooking?

If you're roasting poblanos, peeling off the skin is a good idea. However, in this recipe, since they will be baked in a casserole with liquid, it is not necessary.

How to reheat chili relleno casserole?

Reheat the casserole in the oven at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until hot. But if you're in a hurry, you can microwave individual portions for about 2 minutes.

Are poblano peppers hot?

On the Scoville scale that measures peppers' heat, poblanos range from 1,000 to 1,500, compared to jalapenos, which range from 2,500 to 8,000. To give some more context, bell peppers are a 0 on that scale, while the hottest pepper, the Carolina Reaper, is between 1,000,000 and 2,000,000. In other words, poblanos hardly register for their level of heat.