Low Carb Hatch Chile Rellenos Casserole

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This low carb Chile Rellenos Casserole has all the flavor of  regular chile rellenos, but without the breading and frying. 

  low carb chile cheese casserole

Once a year, my girlfriend Jelayne has a Chile Rellenos party. Her family is from New Mexico, and her uncle sends a large care package of assorted Hatch chiles. Jelayne and her husband, Dan, spend the afternoon charring, filling, battering and then deep-frying dozens of chiles.

The thing is, she never called them “Hatch chiles”, they were just chiles to her. Because to New Mexicans, Hatch chiles are the only chiles!

(This post was originally posted on July 17th, 2013, I’ve updated the photos and the recipe. Affiliate links help offset the cost of providing free recipes, at no additional cost to you.)

Low carb chile casserole

You can see the layers, 3 each of chiles and cheese.

Many years later the Hatch chile craze came to Southern California, with roasting events popping up all over the city, and I finally figured that we’d been eating Hatch Chile Rellenos for years, but just didn’t know it.

Now, it’s hard not to miss the word “Hatch” in August and September! There are roasting events all over the country now! If you can’t find a chile roasting event near you, you can roast them yourself.

 

How to roast chilies

Don’t worry if you don’t have access to Hatch chiles, you can always use poblanos, pasillas, or Anaheim chiles. There are a couple of ways to roast them. First, you can throw them on the grill, no need to do anything to them. Just rotate them until the skin is charred and blackened.

chiles on grill

You can also roast them over an open flame, or under the broiler. Then pop them in a brown paper sack and close. Let them sit and steam in the bag for a few minutes, or until cool enough to handle.

chiles in paper bag

If you don’t use plastic gloves to remove the skins and seeds, be mindful of your hands and don’t touch your face or eyes.

The skins should peel of very easily. Scrape the seeds out and remove the stem end. I usually give them a quick rinse and pat them dry with paper towel to get the last bits of skin, seeds and char off.

Roasted chiles without skins

Roasted chiles. The Hatch ones are the lightest green.

If you are lucky enough to pick up pre-roasted Hatch chiles, you might want to buy a case. (I did just that last weekend when I bought 10 pounds of roasted chiles from my local grocery store).

What do you do with TEN pounds of Hatch chiles?

Well, I’ve make Hatch Chile and Cheddar Egg Bites, which make a nice grab and go, breakfast that’s low-carb and gluten free. Or this Hatch Chile Bacon Grilled Cheese Sandwich, which is definitely not low-carb! (Spencer gets to eat that!) Or we’ll just dice them up and pop them in omelets or scrambled eggs.

 

How to Freeze Chiles

roasted hatch chiles

Roasted, but un-peeled Hatch chiles ready for freezing.

If you do buy more chiles than you can possibly use in a week, you’ll want to freeze them.

First pat them dry or lay them flat on some paper towels to absorb some of the moisture. DO NOT PEEL them, the skins will help keep them moist. Freeze them flat in plastic bags and then stack the bags. Once they’re defrosted, the skin should easily slip off.

This low carb Hatch Chile Casserole doesn’t involve any stuffing, breading, or frying, so most of the work is in prepping the fresh chilies. Once you’ve got them skinned and cleaned, it takes just a few minutes to pull the casserole together.

We’ll have this for breakfast, lunch or even as a side dish to go with dinner. Since it’s vegetarian, it also makes a great entree. Did I mention that it works well with a Keto diet too?

Step 1:

Roast, skin and rinse chiles. Pat dry on a paper towel.

roasted, skinned and seeded chiles.

Pat dry the roasted, skinned and seeded chiles.

Step 2:

Lightly grease a baking dish with olive oil. Line chiles on the bottom of baking dish.

hatch chiles in casserole

Layer chiles in casserole dish.

 

Step 3:

Layer 1/3 of the cotija and sharp cheddar over chiles.

Hatch Chile casserole

Layer 1/3 of both cheeses over chiles.

 

Step 4:

Add another layer of chiles.

 

Step 5:

Repeat, ending with a layer of both cotija and cheddar cheeses on top layer. Beat eggs, salt and pepper in a bowl and pour over chiles and cheese.

 

Bake at 425 degrees for 40 minutes, or until cheese is hot and bubbly.

Low carb chile cheese casserole

Some of the items used in this post are available at my Amazon store.



4.89 from 18 votes
low carb chile cheese casserole
Print
Low Carb Hatch Chile Rellenos Casserole
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
Total Time
1 hr 15 mins
 

Chiles are layered with two kinds of cheese and baked. This recipes serves 6-8 depending on whether you're serving it as a main dish, side dish or breakfast casserole.  

Course: Entree
Cuisine: Gluten Free, keto, low carb, Mexican
Keyword: low carb Chile Rellenos
Servings: 8
Calories: 303 kcal
Author: Cynthia
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 pounds chiles, Hatch, poblanos, pasilla, or Anaheim chiles, charred, skins and seeds removed.
  • 6 ounces queso fresco or cotija cheese, you can also substitute ricotta cheese for a similar texture and flavor.
  • 12 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated
  • 4 large eggs, beaten
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
  1. Roast chiles under the broiler or on a charcoal grill, turning often, until the skin is blackened. Place them in a paper bag and close tightly. When chiles are cool enough to handle, pull away and discard the seed and inside veins.

  2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

  3. Brush olive oil on the bottom of a 10.5" x 7.5" baking dish. Line with chiles. 

  4. Cover chiles with about 2 ounces of crumbled cotija and 4 ounces of shredded cheddar. Repeat, ending with cheeses on top. 

  5. In a bowl, beat 4 eggs, salt and pepper. Pour mixture over chiles and cheese. Cover with foil. Bake at 425 degrees F. for 40 minutes, or until cheese is hot and bubbly. Remove from oven and let rest 5-10 minutes to set.

  6. Casserole can be frozen. Cut into squares and wrap well. 

Nutrition Facts
Low Carb Hatch Chile Rellenos Casserole
Amount Per Serving (1 g)
Calories 303 Calories from Fat 207
% Daily Value*
Fat 23g35%
Saturated Fat 12g75%
Cholesterol 160mg53%
Sodium 896mg39%
Potassium 103mg3%
Carbohydrates 7g2%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 16g32%
Vitamin A 675IU14%
Vitamin C 10.2mg12%
Calcium 366mg37%
Iron 0.9mg5%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Chile rellenos bake

 

Comments

  2. Cindy (Vegetarian Mamma) says

    Wowza, this looks awesome! Thanks for linking up at our Gluten Free Fridays party! I have tweeted and pinned your entry to our Gluten Free Fridays board on Pinterest! 🙂

    Hope your week is great!

    Cindy from vegetarianmamma.com

    Reply

    • Cynthia says

      It was something we learned in cooking school…(the brown paper sack part). I’ve noticed that chile roasters at events just put them in boxes, but I think the skins peel off much more easily if they have a chance to steam for a few minutes.

      Reply

          • Mary says

            My mom and dad are both from NM and we grew up with Hatch peppers and the wonderful aroma of them roasting and of course the taste.
            My mom would like the roasted chilies on a moist kitchen towel and then placed in the refrigerator to cool off to await peeling them. Yum!

          • Cynthia says

            Wow! Lucky you! I really only caught the Hatch chilie “bug” 10 years ago. They are awesome! That reminds me…I have some in the freezer I need to defrost!

          • Melanie Sloan says

            Here in Colorado I just place them in a large mixing bowl with a plate for a lid, and let them sweat. Works great and catches all that yummy juice. I then add the juice into whatever dish I’m making, for added flavor.

  6. Tara says

    5 stars
    Such a comforting casserole! I love all that cheese. I am still kicking myself for not trying a single Hatch Chile when we drove through New Mexico during our cross country move this summer.

    Reply

  9. Ginny says

    5 stars
    I’ve been to Hatch, New Mexico and I cherish recipes using that beautiful chile. It looks like you did a beautiful classic recipe. Thanks!

    Reply

  16. Carrie says

    5 stars
    Delicious! I didn’t have fresh chilies so I used a 25 oz can of whole Ortega Green Chilies. I also added chili powder and cumin to the egg mixture. I think in the future, I would use 5 or 6 eggs to add a bit more structure to the pieces.

    Reply

    • Cynthia says

      Canned chilies work just great! The good thing about adding more eggs is you’re just getting more protein! Chopped green onions would be great too. My oldest daughter has a strong aversion to cumin, but I love it…Sounds great.

      Reply

  20. Kathryn says

    5 stars
    Just made these tonight for my husband. We thought they were delicious! I used poblano peppers. I will definitely be making them again. Thank you!

    Reply

  21. Mary Ker says

    I added soyrizo (vegan chorizo) to this and took it to a brunch where there was a ton of other delicious food, and every scrap was eaten and I as asked for the recipe. I was concerned that there was no milk to make it a custard, but it as great!

    Reply

  23. Mary says

    5 stars
    This looks wonderful!
    Does anyone know of anywhere online where the pre-prepped roasted chiles are sold?

    I can just hear the screams of laughter, but I didn’t grow up in the west (though I’ve lived in Arizona and Texas) and I’ve roasted and processed chiles… I’m never doing it myself again, EVER.

    I’d love to make this dish, we’d probably love it, but I’m not up to confronting fresh chiles ever again.
    :-\

    Reply

    • sharon sutton says

      Walmart sells them online for less than $5/can for the big can. I have never found in my local store, but I order several cans, and have those big, heavy cans delivered right to my door…win/win! I’m never without them.

      Reply

        • Jane says

          This recipe looks really good. I’ve got a lot of poblanos in my garden. I’ve made chile rellenos but would like something with less fat so will try this one. How do you prep the chiles for freezing?

          Reply

          • Cynthia says

            Hi Jane,
            I usually just roast and lay them on a flat tray. Freeze them flat. After they’re frozen, I stack them
            and freeze a few pounds at a time. Sorry for the late response!

  24. Sissy says

    Thanks so much Cynthia! My boyfriend is a New Mexico native and it’s hard to fudge on the traditional recipes…. but I don’t even think he noticed that this was low carb….I added a layer of pork skins that I ran thru the food processor with each layer and on top that satisfied the need for crunch without frying! Salute!

    Reply

  25. cheryl says

    5 stars
    My Dad was born in Hatch. I love Chile Rellenos. I am making this tonight, but using canned. Sorry. My cousin got Hatch Chile seeds & is growing them for me. I remember when I was younger & my Grandma brought me Hatch chiles to California, I had no clue. Seeded them with bare hands. Oh my! She showed me how to make chile relish & stacked enchiladas. Thank you.

    Reply

    • Cynthia says

      Wow! Lucky you! I first heard of them about 20 years ago when a friend of mine whose mom was born in NM used to get a shipment of green chiles every fall. She’d have a chile rellenos party and invite us. She never called them “Hatch” though…I guess because if you’re from NM, they’re just “green chiles”!

      Reply

      • Tara says

        The Hatch name is bcuz they come from the Hatch Chile farm or the Hatch Valley where there are a lot of farms. It’s the soil that makes it taste good. There are also Chimayo Chiles…

        Reply

  27. Melisa says

    I’ve made this twice, and we love it! I used reduced fat cheese. The second time, I used fat-free cottage cheese. The texture was a little loose, but it was still delicious. Works great in the crock pot, too! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

    • Cynthia says

      Wow! I’ve never made it in the crock pot! I’ve tried it with low fat cheeses too and it works fine…the fat keeps it keto and low carb friendly as well as helping keep it a bit thicker.

      Reply

  29. Anita says

    4 stars
    I love this low carb version! It’s similar to a green chile tacos I used to get requests for at the school I taught for Friday treats. It could be eaten with or without tortillas as you like. Difference in the recipe is I added garlic and cumin, cream cheese, black olives and sausage to the mix.

    Reply

  30. Tara says

    4 stars
    NM GIRL here… My only criticism is that this is called a CHILE RELLENO recipe. I expected a whole chile stuffed with the cheese inside of it and somehow made into a casserole.

    We also place our chiles in a plastic bag after roasting so it steams on the way home.

    Reply

    • Cynthia says

      Hi Tara, You’re right…but I really wanted everything traditional chile rellenos had flavor wise, but without the breading. So I guess “deconstructed” would be a better title! I wonder about the toxins in the plastic bags though? Another reader suggested putting them in a large bowl and covering them. I’m roasting today, so I think I’ll try that.

      Reply

      • Cecelia M Teague says

        5 stars
        I’ve found the easiest way is to put the chile on a cookie tray after roasting and covereing them with a damp dish towel. After steaming put as many as you want in a ziplock bag and in the freezer. When you remove the frozen bag and thaw the skins come off very easily!

        Reply

  31. CP says

    I’m am definitely going to try this recipe. I am only concerned with all egg and no milk mixture. I wonder what 1or 2 Tablespoons of milk or cream would produce texture wise? Another recipe I saw had a mixture with 5 eggs and two cups of milk—that seems like way too much milk!

    Reply

    • Cynthia says

      What I was going for here, was more of actual chiles rellenos, rather than a eggy/cheesy dish, so that’s why mine does not have any milk in it…I totally think you could add a couple of tablespoons of cream or whole milk and it will be just as delicious. Let me know!

      Reply

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