In recent years, my husband and I have discovered our love for poblanos! Chili Rellenos Quiche combines this flavorful, not-too-spicy pepper with eggs, cheese and a toasty biscuit crust.
Traditional chili rellenos are made by stuffing a poblano pepper with cheese, dipping it in a fluffy egg batter and frying it in hot oil. As with most fried foods, these are amazingly delicious. And a little too fussy for the average housewife. And they make my house smell like fried food for a very long time. Too much work and effort for me.
But quiche on the hand! Quiche has that egg base that chili rellenos require. And the cheesy goodness with roasty, toasty delicious poblanos. What are we missing? Oh yes, the frying. Quiches are baked. The crusty goodness you might otherwise miss from fried chili rellenos is provided by the thin, crumbly biscuit crust.
The eggs
All that being said, there is a type of egginess found in chili rellenos that is slightly different than what you would normally find in a quiche. Chili rellenos have a light, fluffy egg coating.
But I believe I’ve successfully replicated it with Chili Rellenos Quiche by first separating the eggs. The egg whites are beaten stiff and then folded into the mixture of egg yolk, half-and-half, cheese and poblano peppers.
The peppers
The poblanos are first broiled, then peeled and chopped. I used to broil them whole, and then core and seed them during the chopping step. Now I will often slice them in half, and then core and seed them before broiling. After the peppers are broiled be sure to let them sit and steam in a glass bowl covered with plastic wrap. When they have cooled the skins come off quite easily. You can follow this video tutorial from Rockin Robin with two different methods for roasting the poblanos.
The biggest hassle with broiling or roasting your peppers is the sliminess. The peppers get quite slippery and seeding them can be a little messy. This is why I now prefer to remove the seeds and membrane before broiling them.
You can also simply substitute a can or two of chopped green chilies, well drained. These are also poblanos and make the process easier. But I kinda like roasting them myself and enjoying the smell and the process.
The cheese
Chili rellenos are traditionally made with queso Oaxaco, a cheese I’ve never seen. But recipes often use Monterey Jack, Cheddar or Mozzarella. I think shredded Monterey Jack cheese is just right so that’s what I use in this Chili Rellenos Quiche recipe.
The crust
This press-in, biscuit crust with a little cornmeal is my own creation. It’s provides a thin, crust that perfectly complements the quiche’s flavor. Don’t be alarmed at how crumbly it is or how little of it the recipe seems to make. After you toss in the water and stir, it may appear more like powder to you than anything else. But trust me.
Just toss this powdering crust mix into your pie plate and begin by pressing it against the sides of the pan. You’ll see that it really does stick together and hold a shape! After you’ve packed in the sides, finish off by patting down the crust in an even cover over the bottom of the pie plate.
Pour the quiche mixture into the uncooked pie crust and bake.
Chili Rellenos Quiche
The yummy flavors of Chili Rellenos without the hassle of frying!
Ingredients
- 3 poblano peppers (1 pound)
- 3 eggs, separated
- 2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- ¼ cup half and half
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- ¾ cup flour
- 1 Tablespoon cornmeal
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 4 Tablespoons shortening
Instructions
- Preheat the oven broiler and set the rack 6 inches from the heat. Line a cookie sheet or broiler pan with foil. Stem the peppers and remove seeds and membrane. Place the peppers, cut side down on foil and broil the peppers until well blistered. Remove the peppers and place in a bowl; cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let peppers steam and cool for 15 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Prepare biscuit crust while peppers broil. Combine cornmeal, flour, 1/8 t. salt and baking powder in a bowl. Cut in shortening. Add 2 Tablespoons of boiling water and stir with a fork. Dough will be crumbly. Press up the sides and into the bottom of a pie plate. Set aside.
- After poblanos have cooled for 15 minutes, rub off blackened poblano skins. Coarsely chop. Combine with cheese, egg yolks and half and half.
- With an electric mixer, whip egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gradually fold into cheese mixture. Turn into biscuit crust. Bake for 30 minutes.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this recipe, and what inspired you to try it. Are you a quiche lover, ready to try something new? Do you like chili rellenos, and my easier method intriqued you? What did you think of the crumbly crust with a hint of cornmeal? I love to hear all those comments!
