Mexican Cheese Squares

BeachGirl's Note:

One of the easiest, most enjoyed party recipe I've ever made. There are NEVER any left, even if I double or triple the recipe. "Oh, the power of cheese!" These can be made ahead and freeze well.

• Total Time: 45 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 15-20

Yield: 1.0 9x9 inc ...

• 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies , well-drained
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper or ½ teaspoon red pepper
• 1 lb sharp cheddar cheese , grated or shredded (4 cups)
• 6 eggs, slightly beaten or 1 ½ cups egg substitute
• 2 tablespoons diced pickled jalapenos (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spread green chilis (and jalapenos, if using) in bottom of pan.
3. Sprinkle with cayenne pepper.
4. Sprinkle cheese over green chili peppers.
5. Pour beaten eggs over all.
6. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until firm in the center.
7. Cool.
8. Cut into 1-inch squares and serve hot or at room temperature.
9. ***These freeze beautifully.
10. To serve, thaw, microwave on defrost until warm.
11. Cool.
12. Cut into squares and serve.

Reviews

[Derf]

Beachgirl, these were a wonderful appy for Easter Sunday, a huge hit!! We tried some while still quite hot, they were good but tried them again later, cold, they were marvelous!! Had to run the recipe for all our guests. Simple to make and mouth watering delicious, just enough kick. Thanks for sharing.

[Meredith K.]

I made these when I was testing appetizers for a party coming up next month. I have to admit, when I put this together and saw the proportions, I was dubious; that's a LOT of cheese! I only wanted to try a half recipe to start, and I made it in a small (5" x 7") Pyrex dish; that made it about 1" deep, which seems about right. It did turn out VERY tasty, and not too spicy. But with all that cheddar, it came out a bit greasy; I'm wondering: Does anyone have a suggestion to make it less so? Maybe adding breadcrumbs or something? Also, "well-drained" for the diced chilis is a bit of an understatement; next time, I'll try blotting them on a paper towel, I think. One last thing: I used fresh jalapeño, chopped fine, instead of pickled, and I mixed the cayenne in with the chilis, since I didn't trust myself to "sprinkle" 1/4 tsp. evenly... Overall, I give it 3 stars, which to me means "pretty darn good!"

[Bonnie Corigliano]

I made three larger pans of these for a party of 75 and each time I changed it a bit, I added more chilies each time. I would call it a quiche. All in all a easy, fast, crowd pleaser. It's a keeper.