Chiles Rellenos Casserole

The poblano chiles and cotija cheese in this rich and creamy Mexican-style casserole earn a gold star for authenticity. If you cannot locate them in your neighborhood supermarket, look for poblanos (a dark green chile that resembles green peppers) and cotija (a salty white cheese) in any Hispanic grocery store.

Chiles Rellenos Casserole
Ingredients

2
large fresh poblano chile peppers or fresh Anaheim chile peppers (8 ounces)
4
ounces Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeno chile peppers, shredded, or shredded Mexican-style four-cheese blend (1-1/2 cups)
2
ounces crumbled Cotija cheese (1/2 cup)
3
eggs, lightly beaten
1/4
cup milk
1/3
cup all-purpose flour
1/2
teaspoon baking powder
1/4
teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8
teaspoon salt
Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Grease a 2-quart square baking dish; set aside. Quarter the chile peppers and remove seeds, stems, and veins.* Immerse peppers in boiling water for 3 minutes; drain. Invert peppers onto paper towels to drain well. Place the peppers, cut side up, in prepared baking dish. Top with cheeses.
In a medium bowl combine eggs and milk. Add flour, baking powder, cayenne pepper, and salt. Beat with a rotary beater until smooth (or place in a food processor or blender; cover and process or blend until smooth). Pour egg mixture over chile peppers and cheeses.
Bake, uncovered, about 15 minutes or until a knife inserted into the egg mixture comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
From the Test Kitchen
Because chile peppers contain volatile oils that can burn your skin and eyes, avoid direct contact with them as much as possible. When working with chile peppers, wear plastic or rubber gloves. If your bare hands do touch the peppers, wash your hands and nails well with soap and warm water.