Healthier Chile Relleno Casserole (Easy Recipe)
Published Jun 18, 2024
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This Chile Relleno Casserole recipe features layers of poblano peppers, ground beef, Greek yogurt, and cheese, offering a blend of savory and spicy flavors with melty cheese and a creamy texture. This makes the perfect gluten-free and easy casserole for busy weeknights or make-ahead dinners.
Table of Contents
What Makes This Recipe Great
I’ve been on a casserole kick and each new recipe is just better than the last! Enter, this easy Chile Relleno Casserole– a delicious recipe filled with roasted peppers, juicy ground beef, a layer of cheese, and a creamy Greek yogurt mixture to hold it all together. My family loves this dish and I hope you do too!
If you’ve never had chile rellenos, it’s a classic Mexican dish, consisting of mild whole green chiles (typically poblano or Anaheim peppers) that are stuffed with cheese or meat (or both!). The stuffed peppers are dipped in an egg batter, fried until golden brown, and served with a tomato-based sauce. It’s rich and savory and is often served with rice, beans, or tortillas.
I love this dish and have ordered it many times at my favorite Mexican restaurant. Since I’m becoming the casserole queen, I wanted to try my hand at transforming this traditional dish into a lightened-up casserole version, and boy it didn’t disappoint!
It stores well and leftovers taste even better the next day– so make this for a busy weeknight or for meal prep– you can’t go wrong!
Ingredient Notes
- ground beef
- poblano peppers
- onion
- minced garlic
- canned chopped green chiles: I used canned chiles. They are mild and can typically be found in the canned section of your grocery store, or in the Hispanic foods section.
- shredded Monterey Jack cheese: Substitute pepper jack cheese for added spice, if desired.
- shredded cheddar cheese
- large eggs
- gluten-free all-purpose flour: You can substitute regular flour if not gluten-free.
- milk
- Greek yogurt
- taco seasoning
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- baking powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- toppings: Greek yogurt, chopped cilantro, avocado
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425°F (190°C). Rinse and pat dry the poblano peppers and place on a baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes, turning occasionally. Roast until all sides are charred and blistered. Once charred, remove the peppers and allow them to cool. Then, peel off the skins, cut off the tops, remove the seeds, and cut each pepper in half lengthwise.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef until browned. Drain any excess fat. Add the chopped onion and minced garlic to the skillet. Cook until the onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the taco seasoning and canned green chilies. Season with salt and pepper to taste remove from heat and set aside.
- Add the eggs, milk, and Greek yogurt to a blender. Blend on high speed until combined. Transfer the egg batter mixture to a large bowl and whisk in the gluten-free flour, baking powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt/pepper. Whisk until fully combined.
- Grease a 9×13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray. Cover the bottom of the dish with the roasted poblano peppers. Spread the ground beef mixture evenly over the peppers. Sprinkle the shredded Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese over the beef mixture.
- Pour egg mixture evenly over the assembled casserole. Place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for 40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the casserole is set in the center. If it’s starting to get too dark, cover it with aluminum foil. Remove from the oven. Garnish with Greek yogurt, freshly chopped cilantro, and green onions.
Mac’s Pro Tip
Expert Tips
- Dairy-Free: For a dairy-free version of this casserole, substitute non-dairy yogurt, plant-based milk, and non-dairy cheese shreds for the cheese, milk, and Greek yogurt.
- Regular version: I made this a lightened-up version, but if you’d like to make the regular version, you can use sour cream instead of Greek yogurt and whole milk or heavy cream for the milk.
Serving Tips
Serve this chile relleno casserole garnished with green onions, cilantro, and a dollop of Greek yogurt. If desired, add sides like refried beans or black beans, a side salad, Mexican rice, and/or corn tortillas (flour tortillas also work).
Storage Tips
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven or microwave and top with garnishes.
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Healthier Chile Relleno Casserole (Easy Recipe)
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds ground beef
- 6-7 whole poblano peppers
- 1 onion chopped
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 2 4 ounce cans chopped green chili peppers
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack or dairy-free of choice
- 1 cup shredded cheddar or dairy-free of choice
- 6 large eggs
- 1/2 cup GF all-purpose flour I used Bob's Red Mill
- 1 cup milk or dairy-free milk
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt or dairy-free yogurt
- 2 tsp taco seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- Toppings: Greek yogurt, chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425°F (190°C). Rinse and pat dry the poblano peppers and place on a baking sheet. Roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes, turning occasionally. Roast until all sides are charred and blistered. Once charred, remove the peppers and allow to cool. Then, peel off the skins, cut off the tops, remove the seeds, and cut each pepper in half lengthwise.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef until browned. Drain any excess fat. Add the chopped onion and minced garlic to the skillet. Cook until the onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the taco seasoning and canned green chilies. Season with salt and pepper to taste and remove from heat and set aside.
- Add the eggs, milk and and Greek yogurt to a blender. Blend on high speed until combined. Transfer to a large bowl and whisk in the gluten free flour, baking powder, garlic powder, onion powder and salt/pepper. Whisk until fully combined.
- Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish. Cover the bottom of the baking dish with the roasted poblano peppers. Spread the ground beef mixture evenly over the peppers. Sprinkle the shredded Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses over the beef mixture. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the assembled casserole.
- Reduce heat to 350F and place the baking dish in the preheated oven and bake for 40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the casserole is set in the center. Remove from the oven. Garnish with Greek yogurt and freshly chopped cilantro.
Notes
Expert Tips
- Dairy-Free: For a dairy-free version of this casserole, substitute non-dairy yogurt, plant-based milk, and non-dairy cheese shreds for the cheese, milk, and Greek yogurt.
- Regular version: I made this a lightened-up version, but if you’d like to make the regular version, you can use sour cream instead of Greek yogurt and whole milk or heavy cream for the milk.
Serving Tips
Serve this chile relleno casserole garnished with green onions, cilantro, and a dollop of Greek yogurt. If desired, add sides like refried beans or black beans, a side salad, Mexican rice, and/or corn tortillas (flour tortillas also work).Storage Tips
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat in the oven or microwave and top with garnishes.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
