Chile Relleno - Roasted Poblano peppers

Chile Relleno is a popular Mexican dish made with poblano peppers. Typically it is made by stuffing poblano peppers with meat and cheese, battered, fried and served with rice and beans. Chile relleno is one of my favorite Mexican dishes. I try to avoid making and eating fried food these days. I came upon a baked version of Chile relleno on the web ( feasting at home) and tried it tonight. It was heart warming for a rainy night. I roasted the poblano, stuffed them with beans and cheese and even made my own Rancheros sauce.

Ingredients:

4 Poblano peppers, slit vertically from top

4 medium tomatoes, cut in half

4 cloves garlic

1 medium onion, sliced 

2 jalapeno peppers

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 can low sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
4 ounces grated pepper jack cheese and 4 ounces Mexican queso fresco

1/2 cup water or vegetable stock

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1 teaspoon coriander powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano 

1 teaspoon red chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro

Method:

1. Heat oven to 450 F.

2. Place tomatoes, onion, garlic, jalapeno, and poblano peppers on a sheet pan (cookie sheet) making sure that they are not over crowded. Drizzle olive oil over them. Place the sheet in the oven and roast until tomatoes are juicy and the vegetables are tender and roasted. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

3. Meanwhile mix black beans and grated cheese in a bowl. Add 1/3 of the roasted onion and  taco seasoning to it. Mix and set aside.

4. Place the roasted vegetables, except poblano peppers in  a blender. Add cumin, coriander, chili powder, oregano, salt, 1/4 cup cilantro, stock or water and blend to make roasted Rancheros sauce. Set aside.

5. Leaving the stem on the poblano, gently remove the seeds from the pepper. Take a large rectangle oven proof dish. Coat the bottom with about half of Rancheros sauce.

6. Gently place poblano peppers on the sauce slit side up.

7.Spoon filling into the peppers.

8. Pour remaining sauce over the peppers. Sprinkle with more cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes, until hot and bubbly.

9.Remove foil and bake for 5 more minutes. Let stand for a few minutes. Serve hot with rice and sour cream.

Notes:
I used pinto beans instead of black beans.
You can roast poblano directly over the flame on the stove. That would give a nice smokey flavor.