This chile relleno casserole is whole green chiles stuffed with Monterey Jack cheese, then baked in an egg batter and covered in more cheese and fresh cilantro. An easy vegetarian meal that tastes like your favorite Mexican restaurant but without the frying!
I love ordering chile rellenos at my local Mexican restaurant – these battered and fried stuffed peppers are just SO delicious. Chile relleno casserole has all of the same flavors but with way less work. Serve your casserole with other Mexican food recipes like black beans and rice, avocado corn salad or Mexican coleslaw for a memorable meal.
Every time I go out for Mexican food, I order a combo plate with a chile relleno on it. Those battered stuffed peppers are one of my favorite foods of all time! This chile relleno casserole has many of the same flavors, but in a convenient baked form to feed a crowd, without any deep frying involved.
Table of Contents
Chile Relleno Casserole Ingredients
To make this recipe, you will need whole green chiles, Monterey jack cheese, large eggs, milk, flour, baking powder, cheddar cheese, cilantro and toppings of your choice.
How Do You Make Chile Relleno Casserole?
Preheat the oven, then coat a baking dish with cooking spray. Stuff each one of the chiles with a stick of Monterey jack cheese. Place the chiles in a single layer in the prepared casserole dish. Pour the eggs, milk, flour and baking powder into a blender, then blend until smooth. Pour the egg mixture over the chiles in the pan, then add the shredded cheddar cheese on top. Bake until the casserole is golden brown and puffy. Add a sprinkle of fresh cilantro, then serve with any toppings you like.
Tips For The Perfect Dish
- I use a blender to make the batter because it’s tricky to get everything to blend together uniformly with a whisk in a bowl. If you don’t have a blender, a food processor will also work.
- It’s best to use freshly shredded cheddar cheese in this casserole. The bags of pre-shredded cheese from the store often contain preservatives and anti caking agents and do not melt well.
- Leftover chile relleno casserole will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Canned green chilis typically come with most of the seeds removed. It’s always best to take a quick peek in the chile before you stuff it to remove any stray seeds that might be left behind.
- I find this recipe doesn’t need any added salt, as there is already salt in the cheese and peppers.
Quick Tip
If you’re not a cilantro fan, feel free to use green onions instead.
Recipe FAQs
The most commonly used peppers for chile relleno are anaheim peppers and poblano peppers. Anaheim peppers are in these photos, and they come conveniently roasted and peeled inside cans in the Mexican section of the grocery store. You can definitely roast your own peppers. Using the canned variety is a lot less work and tastes just as good in my opinion. Hatch chiles are also a good option.
This chile relleno casserole is not spicy. If you’re looking for a spicier version, you could use a spicy cheese in the filling, or add hot sauce to the batter.
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Flavor Variations
This recipe is delicious as-is, but you can customize the flavors to your tastes.
- Peppers: You can roast and peel poblano peppers and use them instead of the canned green chiles.
- Cheese: Feel free to swap out the cheddar and Monterey jack for other options such as mozzarella, pepper jack cheese, oaxaca cheese, provolone or queso asadero.
- Seasonings: You can add some spices to the egg batter such as taco seasoning, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder or onion powder.
- Toppings: Top your casserole with pico de gallo, a drizzle of enchilada sauce, sour cream, olives, avocado or salsa verde.
I always keep cans of green chiles in my pantry so that I can make this recipe whenever the craving strikes. With all the eggs in the batter, this dish even makes a great brunch option!
No need to get out the deep fryer for great chile rellenos, this easy casserole is all you need to get those same restaurant style flavors.
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Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.
Chile Relleno Casserole
Ingredients
- 3 7 ounce cans whole green chiles drained
- 8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese cut into 3 inch sticks
- 8 eggs
- 2/3 cup milk
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- assorted toppings such as pico de gallo, sour cream and avocado optional
- cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9″x13″ baking pan with cooking spray.
- Stuff each chile with a stick of cheese and place the chiles in a single layer in the pan.
- Place the eggs, milk, flour and baking powder in a blender. Blend until smooth.
- Pour the egg batter over the chiles and sprinkle the top with cheddar cheese.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until light golden brown and puffy. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with additional toppings if desired.
Notes
- It’s best to use freshly shredded cheddar cheese in this casserole. The bags of pre-shredded cheese from the store often contain preservatives and anti caking agents and do not melt well.
- Leftover chile relleno casserole will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Canned chilies typically come with most of the seeds removed. It’s always best to take a quick peek in the chile before you stuff it to remove any stray seeds that might be left behind.
Can you freeze leftovers & then reheat?
Yes that works!
Thank you!
I made this for church gathering tonight and I received mane compliments and gave out this recipe. I used fresh Anaheim peppers so I had to broil them and peel them before making the casserole and I just stuffed them with mozzarella string cheese. I have been looking for this casserole for a while because the way I traditionally make them is so time consuming. Thank you. This saved me so much time. I’ll only be using this recipe from now on.
By any chance does anyone know if the calorie count is per serving? or for the entire dish?
It’s per serving!
Can I prepare it and bake next morning ?
Yes that’s fine!
Recipe sounds great can I double this recipe for a crowd? If so how large a baking pan
Yes you can double, I’d try a 10 x 15 pan and you may need to increase the bake time.
I JUST made this dish, literally..and it was DELICIOUS! It is one of my roommates favorite Mexican dishes. Easy to make, it will be one of my go to recipes.
I’m so in Love how you prepared every step for the recipe it was just it wasn’t overwhelming if it’s easiest joyous recipe I’ve ever made thank you for sharing I can’t wait to try it for dinner tonight
Many, MANY years ago, I had this recipe on a hand written piece of paper. I lost it. I have been searching for it ever since, and her it is! This is so easy, and I can’t wait to make it again. Thank you!
That’s awesome I hope you enjoy!
I love Chille Relleno but have never made it at home. Thank you for the recipe so I can try it!
I like chili and cheese together. I’ll most likely copy your recipe and try it out at home.
I’ve never made this before, but it looks delicious! I would love to try this sometime.
What a lovely dish.The pics are making me want to have it right away.I hope I am able to taste this dish sometime soon.
The chile relleno casserole looks so delicious! I don’t like too spicy food but I’m willing to cook this myself. Hopefully I can do it next weekend!
I just sent this link to my husband who loves to cook! I bet I see it on my plate next week! Thank you!
DROOL!! This casserole looks crazy good. I have never even had anything like that before. YUM.
I love classic chile rellenos but they can be tedious to make. Your casserole version sounds much easier and just as delicious!
I have actually never had chile relleno before, but I am over here drooling at your pics. This definitely looks like something I need to introduce myself to asap!
So good! I took this for a potluck dish at church. I got so many compliments! This is a church we have been attending for about a year. Tough crowd! These were my first compliments So easy & so good! Thank you
Any time we go to a Mexican restaurant I usually get the chile relleno meal. Such a delicious meal. I look forward to making this soon.
My husband would love this. It’s the favorite parts of everything he eats on game day in one delicious casserole. Love it.
That looks so good! It’s like a gameday appetizer for a dinner side! I have to make this.