WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: Traditional chiles rellenos are a long-standing Mexican favorite, but preparing them can be time-consuming and fussy. But the mild heat of the chiles, the beefy, cheesy filling, the crisp, light coating, and the spicy tomato sauce make this dish irresistible. We wanted all the multidimensional flavor and texture of traditional chiles rellenos without all the work, so we turned to chiles rellenos casserole. Fresh poblano chiles were favored for their mild vegetal flavor. To shortcut the traditional, time-consuming step of roasting and peeling whole chiles, we simply chopped them and sautéed them with the beef. We used 90 percent lean ground beef, since anything fattier made the casserole greasy. Spicy Ro-Tel tomatoes stood in for the traditional spicy tomato sauce. Finally, a combination of flour, egg whites, and milk made a topping that browned nicely in the oven. If you can’t find Ro-Tel tomatoes, use 1 cup of drained diced tomatoes combined with one stemmed, seeded, and finely
chopped jalapeño.

Serves 6 to 8

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped fine
• 2 pounds 90 percent lean ground beef
• 4 poblano chiles, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Salt and pepper
• 1 (10-ounce) can Ro-Tel tomatoes, drained
• 10 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (2½ cups)
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup skim milk
• 2 large egg whites

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in beef, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, and cook until no longer pink, 8 to 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer beef mixture to paper towel–lined plate. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from skillet.
2. Add poblanos to fat left in skillet and cook over medium-high heat until browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in garlic, cumin, oregano, cayenne, ¾ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, and beef mixture and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and cook until mixture is dry, about 1 minute. Off heat, stir in 2 cups monterey jack. Scrape mixture into 13 by 9-inch baking dish and press into even layer.
3. Combine flour, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in bowl. Slowly whisk in milk until smooth. Using stand mixer fitted with whisk, whip egg whites on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium-high and whip until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes. Whisk one-third whipped egg whites into milk-flour batter to lighten. Gently fold in remaining whites, 1 scoop at a time, until combined.
4. Pour batter evenly over beef mixture. Bake until topping is light golden and puffed, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining ½ cup monterey jack and bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Let cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. Serve.