Easy Cheesy Chili Rellano Casserole
"This dish will have your family shouting OLAY! Mexican food night at your home will be a hit with this delicious cheesy chili relano and pork sausage casserole."
- Ready In:
- 1hr 10mins
- Ingredients:
- 13
- Serves:
-
6
ingredients
- 4 (4 ounce) cans whole green chili peppers, seeded and drained
- salt, to taste
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- 4 egg whites
- Tabasco sauce, to taste
- 1⁄3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1⁄4 cup green onion, chopped
- 2 cups monterey jack cheese, shredded
- 2 cups sharpcheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 lb ground pork sausage, cooked and drained
- 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 (8 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
- sour cream
directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Lightly spray a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish with no-stick spray; set aside.
- Wearing disposable gloves, slit the chili pepers in half lengthwise. Remove and discard the seeds; rinse and drain the pepers on several paper towels. Salt the chili peppers.
- In a medium mixing bowl, beat together the milk, egg whites, Tabasco sauce, and flour until smooth. Set aside.
- In a second mixing bowl, combine 1-cup of each cheese and the green onions. (Save the remaining cheeses for the topping.).
- Assemble the casserole: Layer half each of the chili peppers, cheese mixture, and cooked sausage. Repeat. Pour egg mixture evenly over the top of casserole.
- Pour tomato sauce and diced tomatoes over the top, and bake for 30 minutes. Sprinle with the reserved cheeses and bake for 20 minutes more.
- Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.
- Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a freshly tossed green salad dressed in olive oil and red vinegar.
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Reviews
-
Delicious! The pork sausage adds a lot to the flavor. I used 1 tsp Tabasco and would probably up it a bit next time, as this was not hot at all. I forgot to get out the sour cream to top the dish, and my hubby and I both agreed that the sour cream isn't really needed with all of the cheese in the dish. The directions did not specify whether to bake covered or uncovered, so I did covered, but it was really watery, so I'm guessing it should be uncovered. This casserole was a lot more labor-intensive than the listed prep time led me to believe, it was in the oven an hour after starting prep. Thanks for posting!
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It was at my Italian grandmother's apron strings, in the "Patterson, New Jersey region" of Italy, that I learned the secrets of creating real home style Italian dishes, and where my passion for food and my culture were nurtured.
Always kept neat as a pin, grandma's kitchen was the centerpiece of our social settings and the focal point of our lives together as a family. Yes, it was the heart of her home. There, friends and family exchanged news, grandchildren stood on stools over the counter and grated chunks of Romano and Parmesan cheese to be served with dinner, and under the watchful eye of grandma the women (young and old) planned and prepared mouthwatering menus that reflected the marvelous flavors and textures of Italian cooking.
On any given day tantalizing aromas would build and escape through her kitchen window, dance about the balcony and drift down onto the street; where men chatting on the corner of Putnum Street would stop in their tracks to inhale the mouth-watering fragrance. So many sumptuous meals were prepared in that modest, yet functional, kitchen.
If I close my eyes and think of Grandma's cooking, I can vividly recall some of those fragrant food memories: tomato sauce with meatballs and sausages simmering on the stove top; onions, peppers and garlic roasting in a fragrant pool of olive oil, Neapolitan pizza with vine-ripened tomatoes (from grandpa's garden), fresh garlic, basil, Parmesan and anchovies bubbling in the oven; Italian bread smothered with creamy butter, minced garlic, and fresh parsley toasting under the broiler ... "Yummmmm - Heaven in your mouth!"
Among the many recipes that I've collected over the years, are those that I hold especially near and dear. They are tattered, faded pieces of paper that provide a glimpse into my past -- Family recipes passed down from mother to daughter, granddaughter to great-granddaughter. Generations of my family's heritage are captured in grandma's recipes for flavorful soups (Minestrone, Pea, Ruccola); hearty meat, poultry and fish dishes (braciole, pot roast, chicken casseroles, seafood stews); fresh vegetable entrees and salads, and those baked goodies that bring a happy ending to every meal (Ricotta pies, Struffoli, Cenci, Pine Nut cookies). Whenever I am 'hungry' for "the good old days" or I want to soothe my soul after a tiring day, these are the comfort-recipes to which I turn.
I once heard it said: "What distinguishes great cooks from good cooks is that great cooks love to cook. Every meal is an opportunity to express that love." A credo that I am certain grandma lived by -- I believe that she prepared her meals to fill her family and friends with love. I am proud of grandma's spirit of "abbondanza" (an abundant table). Indeed, no one ever left grandma's table hungry.
I'd like to share with you some of the foods from my beloved grandmother's kitchen. Enjoy and make these Italian classic favorites in your own family's kitchen.
Buon appetito!
