Nick and I both really love Mexican food. When we go out for it, I alternate between my three favorites: fajitas, nachos, and taco salads, with an occasional yummy sounding special thrown in. Nick orders one thing and one thing only. No matter where we go, no matter how many times he’s ordered it. If we’re at a Mexican place, he orders chile rellenos.

So, of course, as with all of Nick’s other favorites, I had to attempt to make them. If you’re unfamiliar with the dish, chile rellenos are roasted poblano peppers, stuffed with cheese, and fried in an egg batter. The peppers vary in spiciness, depending on how well they’re cleaned. If the seeds are fully removed, the peppers are pretty mild with great flavor. Nick has had a couple bad experiences around Pensacola with poorly cleaned, inedibly spicy peppers, but this has not deterred him from ordering them at every new place we try. Of course, even the “good” chile rellenos we find in Pensacola will never compare to the ones Nick has had back at home in California. At least that’s what I’ve heard.

This recipe was a compilation of a few different ones I looked at.

Chili Rellenos

• 4 large poblano peppers
• 3/4 block Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup flour (divided)
• 1/2 cup canola oil

First up, you’ll need to roast the peppers.

Though I’ve seen the technique countless times on TV and in recipes, this was my first time roasting my own peppers. Remove the stems and as much of the seeds as you can without cutting the pepper in half. Put the peppers on a nonstick sprayed cookie sheet and put them under the broiler. Turn them every couple minutes, until you have a nice char all over. (If you have a gas stove, you can char them right in the flames on the burner).

Put them immediately into a paper bag, close the bag, and let them steam for 15 minutes.

Remove the peppers from the bag and peel the skins off.

Slice the cheese into thin strips.

Stuff as much cheese as you can into each pepper without breaking the pepper.

Don’t worry about little rips. I had a couple, and no cheese leaked out while cooking.

In a bowl, mix the eggs, milk and 1/2 cup flour.

Add the other 1/2 cup flour to another bowl. Heat the canola oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat. Set up a dipping station, preferably very close to your pan. This is about to get messy!

Dip the peppers in flour, then into the batter, coating well. Drop them carefully into the oil.

Fry a couple minutes, until golden and crispy on the bottom.

Flip the peppers, and fry the other side.

When the peppers are crispy on both sides, remove from oil and drain on paper towels for a minute. Serve immediately, while the cheese is warm and gooey! I topped mine with some salsa verde, and served them with refried beans.

Just look at that cheesey goodness. Ohhhh yeahhhh…

Nick loved these and claimed they were better than any he’s had recently. He seems to say this about everything I cook though, so either I’m THAT good, or he’s just way too nice. Either way, they were a lot easier than I was expecting (though they did make a huge mess) and I was impressed with the final result. My only regret on this meal is that I didn’t even THINK to make margaritas! Fail.