Chile Relleno Casserole with Ground Beef

This chile relleno casserole with ground beef or sausage is a great brunch item or for dinner. Inexpensive meal with tons of flavor and a cheesy top layer. Leave mild or make a bit spicy with a kick for a hit of a meal.

Copycat Amys Chile Relleno Casserole

I make a lot of different ground beef recipes because we buy meat in bulk online. This one could really be eaten for breakfast lunch or dinner. Keep it mild or use spicy chiles. Suppose you could make it dairy free but honestly the best part is the cheesy layer.

For the meat there are many choices but beef is usually the most common. You could use spicy ground sausage too which adds tons of flavor and some heat. And for a lower fat choice chicken or turkey can be found ground as well.

Chile Relleno Casserole with Ground Beef

We have made stuffed poblano peppers and grilled them before on the barbecue. Those were great but rather time consuming for sure. Similar to our stuffed pepper casserole it is easier to skip stuffing all together. If you love throw together, use what you have that needs to be eaten up dishes this is a great one for that.

Ok so when you mix all of this together it doesn’t look that appetizing, just wait. Honestly I think all casseroles look kinda’ like ehhhhwwww when everything is blobbed together and folded in. It’s all about flavor y’all, and when you melt the layer of cheese on top it will look more appetizing I promise. 😉

with Ground Sausage

You’ll need to precook the meat in a pan on the stovetop or make air fryer ground beef before adding into the rest of the mix. Alternatively you can use a roll of spicy Jimmy Dean sausage, that is amazing if I can find it. To cut down the spicy nature you can use half and half too. Go with what works for you.

I mean I suppose you could make this vegetarian but that is so not our style and honestly I wouldn’t be able to help you in that regard. We have gone so far as making a dairy free version for my husband but without the meat would make the overall texture weird.

What is chile relleno casserole made of?

1. Cream cheese should be room temperature so it is easier to mix with other ingredients and stays smooth.
2. Ground beef or sausage cooked ahead of time
3. Diced green chiles can be found mild or spicy
   1. or make your own freshly smoked green chiles in a smoker or grill, they’re actually pretty easy to prepare
4. Eggs are best if they’re room temp. but I don’t always remember to leave them out for a bit.
5. Heavy cream works best to keep it nice and thick
6. Cumin is optional but a nice flavor choice
7. Cheese of course and I like a Mexican blend or sharp cheddar
8. Salt and pepper and/or any other seasonings you normally use to make this Mexican dinner.
9. 9×13″ baking dish and a bit of non stick cooking spray

If I can find it I like our favorite Mexican blend of cheeses that is pre-shredded with cheddar cheese and some Monterey jack cheese together. There is already a bit of taco seasoning inside so it adds to the flavors.

What are Chile Rellenos made of?

In their traditional form poblano peppers are stuffed with cheese and lightly battered with an egg dip similar to tempura batter and then fried. In this version it’s deconstructed, meat is added, and canned green chiles are used.

You can do what is suggested below where cheese is mixed in AND added to the top as you see here or just do one. If you’re using canned there are usually a few varieties, spicy to mild and somewhere in between too. Occasionally I only find whole so I have to dice myself. Like I said, in our chili relleno casserole I always load it up.

How to Make Hatch Chile Relleno Casserole

• You’ll want to start off by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9×13″ casserole dish with non stick spray.
• Pour green chilies into dish and spread so layer is even all the way across pan.
• In a bowl mix together cream cheese, eggs, heavy cream and seasonings until it is well blended and creamy.
• Cook ground beef or sausage on stovetop until browned, drain and add into bowl with 2 c. of your cheese. Fold together.
• Dollop ground beef mix into pan and then smooth so it’s the same thickness across the pan.
• Top dish with remaining 1/2 cup to 1 c cheese.
• Bake for 30 minutes to 35 minutes or until the eggs are completely set in the middle and top is golden brown
• Remove and set on cooling rack to solidify before slicing. Top with chopped green onions or sour cream.

How do you make a casserole dairy free?

If you did need to make this a dairy free chile casserole I get it. My husband is lactose intolerant and I have to adjust many of our meals like this. Daiya has a great shredded cheese and cream cheese option I use for him. You can substitute heavy cream for coconut milk for this. Keep in mind it will be sweeter though.

What is the best way to serve a Mexican casserole?

You could add; a dollop of sour cream on top, diced green onions, freshly diced chilis, a sprinkle of red pepper flakes, etc… I guarantee you’ll be asked for the recipe by at least one person there.

Now I will say that if you want to go all out with the authentic original way this was made back in the day you would need to roast your own from scratch. If you have a Traeger they come out great or you can roast in the oven until so tender that the skins slide right off.

You can find everything you need at your local grocery store, some items can be ordered online. As far as homemade Mexican food goes this one is pretty darn good. Adjust the amount of cheesiness you want but we make it really ooey gooey for sure. Here are a few other favorites;

Other easy Mexican recipes you’ll love

• Copycat Taco Bell Mexican pizza turns out really good with some tortillas and similar items you see here.
• You can make air fryer stuffed peppers some night too. They are great with a crispy top layer but similar flavors to this one.
• Instant Pot Mexican chicken and rice is amazing if you haven’t tried that one yet. It’s a one pot meal with all the goodness mixed together and great with leftovers for sure.

Here’s what it looks like when served up at a get together. Want to add more goodness to amp it up even further before serving each piece.

How do you reheat chile relleno casserole?

Ok so the microwave is kinda’ a given and probably the fastest and easiest method to warm again. First of all you want to make sure when you save your leftovers it is at room temperature first. Save in a freezer bag or container with a lid snapped tight. Transfer to a plate and heat for 1 minute or so.

If you want to add a bit of crisp on the top the air fryer is kinda’ a game changer y’all. Move it into an oven safe dish like a springform pan or something. Preheat at 380 degrees F for 5 minutes and put that in for 2-3 minutes. You could add fresh shreds on top so that can melt and crisp up on the edges. OMG my mouth is already watering thinking about this possibility. Like so good my friends.