Oven-Roasted Chile Rellenos And Tomatillo Salsa Recipe

There will always be a place for an authentic chile relleno — after all, who doesn't like something stuffed, battered, and deep fried? But for those that love the idea of a stuffed poblano but want something that isn't fried, this oven-roasted chile relleno with tomatillo salsa is for you. Recipe developer Miriam Hahn brings us this recipe and says, "My favorite thing about this recipe is how flavorful each component is. The roasted poblanos, the spicy black bean mixture and the creamy tomatillo salsa all bring something valuable to the table — or rather the relleno!"

This recipe is a meal in itself, but gazpacho soup or a green salad pair really well with it. While this is a somewhat involved recipe, there's no doubt that the end results will be well worth it. These peppers are stuffed to the brim with wholesome, flavorful goodness, but you'll experience that for yourself soon enough!

To make this recipe, you are going to first and foremost need some nice sized poblano peppers. Sometimes it's slim pickins' at the store, but if you are lucky enough to live near a weekend farmer's market, that is your best bet. You will also need some tomatillos for the salsa. Then on to the easy stuff: a white onion, garlic, jalapeño, cilantro, lime, and avocado from the produce section. Additionally, you'll need some black beans and a whole slew of spices: chili powder, cumin, coriander, salt, and smoked paprika. Last on your list, cheddar cheese. Hahn tells us that if you want to make these dairy free, just swap the cheese for a dairy free variety, and it works fine.

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Remove the husks from the tomatillos and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet along with the poblano peppers. No cutting needed for this step. Pop those in the oven for about 20 minutes, flipping the poblanos halfway. The beautiful aroma of roasted vegetables starts now.

While the poblanos and tomatillos are roasting, you'll want to get the black bean mixture going. Start by dicing the onion, garlic, and jalapeño. We are going to be using some of the onion and jalapeno for the salsa just so you can plan ahead. Get a large frying pan out and add the oil. Bring the heat to medium-high and begin to saute  ½ cup of the onions, all of the garlic, and half of the jalapeño. Cook that for 10 minutes and then let's keep piling things in the pan. Add the black beans, chili powder, 1 teaspoon of the cumin, coriander, 1 teaspoon of the salt, smoked paprika, and 3 tablespoons of the lime juice. Simmer for 10 minutes, then add 1 cup of cheese. Stir to combine.

The tomatillos should be done around now so pull the tray out of the oven and place the tomatillos in a blender. (The poblanos need to cool a bit, so let them rest.) Add 2 tablespoons of the onion, the other half of the jalapeño, the cilantro, 1 teaspoon of the cumin, 1 teaspoon of the salt, 3 tablespoons of the lime juice, and the avocado. Blend until smooth. "I like using an avocado in this sauce to make it thicker than a typical salsa Verde. It adds a huge depth of flavor to this dish, and you are actually going to want to put it on all sorts of things now that you know how to make it," Hahn shares.

Once the poblanos have cooled, remove the peel. Then take a sharp paring knife and make a slit starting at the stem and moving vertically down to the pointy end of the poblano. Now remove and discard the seeds. It's time to fill these peppers up. Take a scoop of the black bean mixture and fill each poblano until all of the mixture has been used up. Then cover the baking tray with foil and bake in the oven for 20 minutes. When they come out of the oven, top with the tomatillo salsa and a sprinkle of cheese, and serve. You can also add lots of other toppings like fresh tomatoes, jalapeños, and cilantro. You will love how these roasted chile rellenos are stuffed with delicious ingredients — they'll leave you feel full, nourished, and satisfied!