One of my fans asked for Chile Rellenos recently, so I made this Vegan Chile Rellenos Casserole. I wasn't sure how it was going to turn out - but this may be a new favorite!
Black beans combine with Rotel tomatoes, green chiles, and corn tortilla strips to make the 'meat' of this casserole. They are then folded into an egg-like tofu batter and then baked until golden brown, then topped with your favorite salsa and cheese sauce.
The tofu batter really surprised me how much it resembled the traditional egg batter of chile rellenos, espcially if you add a little Indian black salt (kala namak).
I been to many restaurants where their idea of chile rellenos is a plain poblano pepper stuffed with cheese and some flavorless tomato sauce on top.
Those are NOT the chile rellenos I remember from living in the American southwest for over 10 years! Not - even - close.
I'm used to Big Jim Hatch Chiles stuffed with among other things a rich and flavorful cheese sauce, and then dipped in an egg batter and fried to a golden brown. And of course they were topped with that amazing New Mexico red or green sauce too.
Mmmm. I can almost taste them now.
THIS vegan chile rellenos casserole reminds me of those wonderful flavors from back home, so I hope you give it a try.
How To Make Vegan Chile Rellenos Casserole
Step 1: Cheese
Since Chile Rellenos are all about the cheese, start there using whatever cheese sauce you like. There are some really good vegan cheese products in the store now or you can make my own Amazing Vegan Cheese Sauce recipe.
If you are in a pinch for time, the new Cheese Starter Pack from PlantPure is really good too and is so FAST & EASY. Because I was lazy, this is what I used and added an additional 4 oz can of chiles and ¼ cup of salsa.
Wow it was good and I have extra sauce leftover for my potatoes this week.
Step 2. Sauce
This casserole is good as is, but to kick it up a notch I reccomend topping it with your favorite Salsa, Salsa Verde, enchilada sauce, or even my own Red Chile Sauce.
Step 3: The Filling
To make the filling I used:
- One 15oz can of black beans, rinsed and drained,
- One 10oz can of Rotel Tomatoes, also drained,
- Three 4oz cans of diced Hatch Green Chile.
Drain all of these really well, place them in a bowl, mix them well, and then drain them some more. You do not want any excess liquid.
Step 4: The Tortillas
Most store-bought corn tortillas are oil-free so simply take 2 of your favorite tortillas, cun them in half, and then into strips. Set aside.
Step 5: The Batter
The wet ingredients of the batter are simply a 14oz block of extra firm tofu and ¼ cup of unsweetened plant milk. Blend until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides if necessary.
To a bowl, add the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and all the spices and mix well. Add the tofu and mix until a smooth batter is formed.
Step 6: The Casserole
Finally, fold in the bean filling and pour into a well-seasoned cast iron skillet and bake for 35 minutes or until golden brown. Alternatively, a similar sized casserole dish could be used lined with parchment paper.
Once out of the oven, let it rest for at least 10 minutes before adding your cheese sauce and salsa. I used a tomatillo salsa verde and it was amazing.
Again, I hope you give it a try and if you do, let me know in the comments below.
Until next time...
PrintVegan Chile Rellenos Casserole
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 35 min
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
- Category: Main
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Vegan
Description
One of my fans asked for Chile Rellenos recently, so I made this Vegan Chile Rellenos Casserole. I wasn't sure how it was going to turn out - but this may be a new favorite!
Ingredients
- 15 oz can black beans
- 10 oz can Rotel tomatoes with green chile
- 12 oz diced green chile (three 4 oz cans)
- 2 corn tortillas
- 14 oz block extra firm tofu
- ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 Tbls cornmeal
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ¾ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp salt (sub with Indian Black Salt for egg-like flavor)
- vegan cheese shreds or favorite cheese sauce (optional)
- salsa verde (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375° F
- Prepare cheese sauce is using
- Drain beans, tomatoes, and chiles and mix well
- Cur tortillas into strips and set aside
- Blend tofu and milk until smooth and creamy
- In a bowl, mix the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and spices
- Add tofu mixture and mix until a smooth batter is formed
- Fold in the tortillas and the bean mixture
- Pour into a well-seasoned 10" cast iron skillet and bake 35 min or until firm
- Alternatively, you could use a similar-sized square casserole dish lined with parchment paper
- Remove from oven and let rest for at least 10 min
- Top with cheese and salsa and serve
Laura De la O
It was so yummy!! But it was soft so we ate it with chips. Loved it! Thanks.
Ruby
I made this in the crock pot. While it was good, I think the cast iron skillet in the oven will be really good...I'll do this when the weather gets cooler. However, I am anxious to see what the dish tastes like tomorrow after the flavors have melded.
Thank you for your plant based recipes!
Elaine Farrell
OMG! Yum! This was so good!
Dianne
This is delicious, and so easy to make!
I am not a huge fan of really hot food, and was afraid 3 cans of chilis might be a bit much for me, especially as my cans are a little bigger than 4 ounces, so I only used two. It was good, but could have been spicier so I think I'll likely try the whole 3 cans next time. This recipe is definitely a keeper.
Thanks, Chuck!
Doris
Is there something other than tofu I could use to make this?
Chelsea
This was absolutely delicious. How firm should the inside get? The top was firm and brown but the inside was still quite soft. Still, delicious!
Chuck Underwood
I just finished the last of mine today for lunch - the inside was a little soft, yet firm too. I think it will firm up more in the fridge.
Shannon Agee
This turned out great! My whole non-plant-food-eating family loved it.
Cindy
Can you use gluten free flour such as oat flour in place of the white flour?
Chuck Underwood
Probably - although I haven't tried it
Ruby
I used barley flour and it seemed to work fine.
Kim
Looks absolutely DELISH. Can't wait to make it.
Beth W
Chuck, you are a treasure!