Donna’s Chilies Rellenos Casserole

This was a big hit at a casual dinner party we hosted at our cottage. I served a mild version using green chilies but you can add a little more heat with hotter peppers.

1 tablespoon canola oil 1 large onion, chopped 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 can (4 ounces) green chiles, chopped 1-1/2 pounds ground beef, 95% lean salt and pepper to taste 1/2 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon oregano or Italian seasoning 1 can (15 ounces) fat-free refried beans 1 can (11 ounces) corn 1 cup reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese, divided 1/3 cup flour 1-1/3 cups fat-free milk 3 eggs 1/4 teaspoon salt dash hot pepper sauce, to taste

Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. In a large skillet, heat oil. Add onions and cook over medium heat until translucent. Add red pepper and green pepper and cook until tender. Add garlic and green chilies and cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat and spoon into a small bowl. Add ground beef to skillet and cook over medium heat until thoroughly cooked. Add salt, pepper, cumin, and oregano. Add onion mixture back to the skillet. Add refried beans to skillet and stir until well mixed. Spoon mixture into baking pan. Spoon corn on top of meat mixture. Sprinkle with one-half of the cheese.

In a medium bowl, combine, flour, milk, eggs, salt, and hot sauce. Beat well. Pour over the meat mixture in the baking pan. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover and refrigerate until ready to bake.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 60 -90 minutes or until set. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Note: This may be served with chunky tomato salsa and a side of sour cream.

Serves 8

Nutritional Information per serving:

Calories: 335 Fat, gm.: 12 Protein, gm.: 30 Carbs, gm.: 26 Cholesterol, mg.: 130 Fiber, gm.: 4.8