Chiles rellenos is a traditional Mexican dish. Typically, they are made with a roasted poblano pepper, stuffed with meat and cheese, then coated in an egg batter and fried. My version is a little bit different. Mine are made with anaheim peppers. I also skipped the meat. And I figured since we're already stuffing the thing with cheese, maybe we can skip the frying and bake it instead. This method of slow roasting makes the peppers nice and sweet.
These can be served with beans and rice for a great Meatless Monday meal. Or you can serve them as a side for chicken or fish.
Baked Chiles Rellenos
Makes: 4 servings
4 anaheim peppers
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
- With a small paring knife, cut the tops off of the peppers and remove the seeds.
- Mix together the three cheese.
- Stuff each pepper with 1/4 of the cheese mixture. The peppers are long and skinny so you'll probably need to stuff them a little at a time.
- Once the peppers are stuffed, place them all side by side on one large piece of aluminum foil. Fold up the foil making sure that it's tight against the tops so that the cheese doesn't come out when it melts.
- Bake at 350° F for one hour until the peppers are fork tender. Allow to cool for five minutes before serving.
So, I have to admit that this is not my own original idea. I found this recipe on Life's Ambrosia via Pinterest. I have to say that I have -ahem- improved upon the idea a bit! Matt and I are totally addicted to pepper jack cheese and this just fuels our addiction even more. I think I may need to start going to PJC Anonymous hehe!
Crunchy Pepper Jack Cheese Sticks
Makes: 8 cheese sticks
8 egg roll wrappers
8 oz brick of pepper jack cheese
Yep! Just two ingredients!
- Preheat a deep fryer or heavy bottomed dutch oven filled with oil to 375° F.
- Cut the brick of pepper jack cheese into 4 long slices lengthwise. Then turn each slice on it's side and cut in half so that you have 8 even sticks.
- Freeze the sticks for one hour. This step is really important. Otherwise the cheese will ooze out into the hot oil and you'll have an empty wrapper.
- Place a cheese stick diagonally on an egg roll wrapper. Then brush two of the edges with water.
- Fold the wrapper in half over the cheese stick, then fold the small top and bottom flaps over like you would with a burrito.
- Brush some water on the smaller triangle that was just folded over the cheese stick. Then continue to roll it up like an egg roll.
- Now fry the cheese sticks until golden brown, about 3 minutes.
- Dip in marinara or sweet chili sauce.
