Pan Fried Chiles Rellenos

When I make a new side dish or appetizer, the true sign that it is a keeper/success is when Hubby makes a meal of it. This is exactly what happened the other night when I made a pre-dinner snack to test a new recipe that I’ve been wanting to try for months.

I have made chiles rellenos in the past, but found it to be cumbersome and time-consuming. Always on the lookout for quick fixes or cheats when it comes to something I want to make, but just don’t have the time for, when I came across a recipe for deep-fried chiles rellenos wrapped in egg roll wrappers, I was anxious to try it. I made a few adjustments, switched the cooking method from deep fryer to pan fryer to avoid the inevitable cracking of the wrappers when frying, and ended up with an excellent dinner addition or appetizer.

Pan Fried Chile Relleno

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

1/2 tsp. White Pepper

1/2 tsp. Salt

1/2 tsp. Cayenne Pepper

16 oz. Whole Green Chiles, drained and seeded

3 Cups Shredded Cheese Blend (I used a three-cheddar blend)

1 package (16 ounces) Egg Roll Wrappers

1 Egg Yolk mixed with 1 tsp. Water

Oil for Frying

1. Combine olive oil, peppers, and salt. Add chilies; toss to coat.  Let stand 1 hour.
2. For each chile relleno, place 1 chile in center of egg roll wrapper; top with 1/3 cup cheese. Brush edges of wrapper with egg yolk mixture. Fold lengthwise edges over filling, overlapping; press together. Fold ends, sealing ends, and enclosing filling.
3. Heat 1″ of oil in cast iron skillet to approximately 375. To test oil temp, place a wooden spoon in the oil.  When it bubbles, the temperature is just about there.
4. Fry chilies one or two at a time, approximately 30 seconds on each side.  Remove from oil to paper towel for draining. If the cheese does not melt completely, you can either reduce the oil temp or pop the fried chilies in the microwave for 20 seconds.

I used my home-canned green chilies for this recipe and Hubby quickly ate four all by himself, ruining his appetite for dinner. No worries though, leftovers just save me from making dinner another night.

This dish was tasty on its own, but for fun I served it with a side of beef enchilada sauce for dipping.  Although Hubby claimed the chiles were perfect all by themselves, when he brought me his completely clean plate, the side of sauce was nowhere to be found.  I guess it must have been good with it as well.

Beef Enchilada Sauce

1/2 lb. Ground Beef

1 Can 16 oz. Refried Beans

1 Can 12 oz. Enchilada Sauce

1 Cup Beef Broth

1/8 tsp. Chili Powder

1/2 tsp. Ground Cumin

1/2 tsp. Salt

• Brown and drain ground beef.
• Add remaining ingredients and simmer over medium-high heat for 35 minutes.

This sauce is great over  ground beef or cheese filled tortillas or chiles rellenos, but hearty enough to just eat on its own, which is exactly what I do with the leftovers.

Wrapping the chile relleno in an egg roll wrapper made the preparation and cooking so much easier and fool-proof, that these are now going to be added to my Mexican meal options on a regular basis. Little things can simplify so much, and for this I am — Simply Grateful.