Chile Relleno Casserole

Our simple chile relleno casserole with ground beef and cheese is a great brunch item or for delicious dinner. An inexpensive meal with tons of flavor and a cheesy top layer, you can leave it mild or make spicy with freshly diced or canned chiles.

I make a lot of different hamburger meat recipes because we buy meat in bulk. 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.

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. 😉

Ingredient Notes

Softened Cream cheese should be room temperature so it is easier to mix with other ingredients and stays smooth.

Ground beef or sausage is used for the meat. You’ll need to precook the meat in a pan on the stovetop or make air fryer ground beef and dfrain before adding into the rest of the mix.

Can you use ground sausage?

For sure you can make this switch. I suggest you 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.

Diced green chiles can be found mild or spicy, or make your own freshly roasted in a smoker or grill, they’re actually pretty easy to prepare. An alternative to this would be to make homemade rotel or use canned.

Eggs are best if they’re room temp. but I don’t always remember to leave them out for a bit.

Heavy cream works best to keep it nice and thick. Cumin is optional but a nice flavor choice. Salt and pepper and/or any other seasonings you normally use to make this Mexican dinner. 9×13″ baking dish and a bit of non stick cooking spray

Can you add cheese?

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.

Variations

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.

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 Long to Cook Chile Relleno Casserole

You will need a few minutes to saute the meat in a pan on the stove first, or you can cook ground beef in oven instead. Then when it is prepped you need about 30-35 minutes for the egg to set and become tender but firmed.

Tips When Making Chile Relleno Casserole

You will want to make sure your meat is drained after it is browned on the stovetop so your sauce isn’t diluted with grease. I go a step further and pour it into a colander, run hot water over it to make it healthier. Leave your cream cheese out for an hour or so before whisking in with other ingredients so it isn’t in clumps and combines well.

Layer as directed below with an added layer of cheese on the very top that will brown nicely. When done I would allow it to sit for 10 minutes or so to solidify more before slicing or it will scoop out instead.

Other easy Mexican recipes you’ll love

Our copycat Taco Bell Mexican pizza recipe 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.

How to reheat leftovers

The microwave is kinda’ a given and probably the fastest and easiest method to warm again. 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.