Baked Beef Chiles Rellenos Casserole

Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 51 min
Servings: 10
Yield: 10 servings

Description

A surefire potluck hit, this spicy beef and poblano pepper casserole is a healthier, baked version of Mexican chiles rellenos!

Ingredients

6 large poblano peppers, halved and seeded
1 1/2 pounds ground beef, or to taste
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground dried chipotle pepper
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 large onion, chopped
2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chile peppers
cooking spray
3 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend, or to taste

Directions

1 Set the oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place poblano peppers cut-side down onto the prepared baking sheet.
2 Cook under the preheated broiler until poblano pepper skins have blackened and blistered, 5 to 8 minutes. Place blackened peppers into a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Allow peppers to steam as they cool, about 10 minutes.
3 Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef, chili powder, garlic, cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper, paprika, chipotle pepper, salt, and black pepper. Cook and stir until beef is no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Add onion; cook until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes with green chiles; cook until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes more. Let beef mixture cool.
4 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray.
5 Run water over the poblano peppers to remove skins and discard them; drain peppers on paper towels. Place a layer of peppers on the bottom of the prepared dish; place 1/3 of the beef mixture on top. Cover with 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend. Repeat layers twice more in the same order.
6 Bake, uncovered, in the preheated oven until golden brown on top, about 35 minutes.