Come September in New Mexico and parts of Colorado, the onset of Autumn is heralded by the smell of roasting chiles in the air. Whether you’re feeding a crowd or creating a special date night dinner for two, we’ve got a green chile recipe to celebrate the harvest season.
In my family, Thanksgiving or Christmas is usually when we make tamales. It takes a little extra effort, but many hands make light work. Usually, they are stuffed with cooked meats, but check out this vegetarian version: Tomatillo Green Chile Tamales.
To make the most of the summer crops we are still enjoying, this Green Chili Corn Cakes and Fresh Corn Salsa recipe is a simpler dish for a Meatless Monday dinner.
Can you feel the chill in the air yet?
Soups and stews are a great way to incorporate chiles.
Make a large pot of this Chili Verde and store the leftovers in the freezer in portions that make sense for your family. I’m a family of two, so we can get away with 2 pints to a quart depending on what we’re serving with it. Thaw and heat for an easy weeknight dinner. These types of dishes get better when they’re reheated.
Wild Rice and Mushroom Stuffed Green Chile Recipe
My special new recipe for you today is wild rice and mushroom stuffed rellenos. They take a bit of planning and time to prepare, so they are best for special occasions.
Often rellenos are stuffed with cheeses, onions, and herbs. This recipe is a little bit hardier and packed with protein.
Serves 2-4
4 Green Chiles – Big Jim or Anaheim – roasted, peeled and seeded
For the stuffing:
1 cup of cooked wild rice
(start with 1/2 cup of dry)
2-3 Tbsp. oil for cooking the onions & mushrooms
1/4 of a small onion, diced
4-6 mushrooms, sliced
salt & pepper to taste
1/8 tsp. Mexican Oregano
1/2 can of black beans, drained & rinsed
2 slices of Monterey Jack or approximately 1/4 cup of shredded cheese
For the batter:
1/4-1/2 cup of masa
1 cup of oil for frying
3 eggs separated at room temperature
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
OR
1 cup of prepared pancake batter
Cook the rice according to its instructions and set aside. Saute onions in oil until translucent. Add sliced mushrooms, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for about 5-10 minutes or until mushrooms have softened. Add a little water or stock and cover to speed up the cooking process. Mix with the rice and beans and set aside. Taste the stuffing and adjust the seasoning as necessary. Make sure it has cooled enough to handle. The stuffing can be prepared a day ahead and stored in the fridge.
Prepare your pancake batter according to the package. If using the lighter egg mix option, whip the whites to a stiff meringue, and add salt and pepper to the beaten yokes. Fold the yokes and whites together leaving bits of the white meringue intact. Set aside.
Heat 1 cup of oil on medium heat in a pan to approximately 300ºF-325ºF.
Lay the cheese inside the chile pepper and fill it with the rice mixture. Careful not to over-stuff. The batter should work to seal the seam, but you may also use a few toothpicks to hold the seam together. If you do, remember to remove them before serving.
Lightly coat the stuffed chile in flour, cornmeal, or cornstarch to allow the batter to stick. I used masa harina for its light texture. Dip and coat in the pancake batter or egg mixture and fry in oil for 1-2 minutes on each side until golden brown. Drain on paper towels or newspaper and serve warm plain or with a red chile sauce.
Additional Tips and Ideas for This Green Chile Recipe
Consider cooking your rice with half a bouillon cube or chicken or vegetable stock for added depth of flavor. The stuffing makes a nice side dish all on its own. You could also mix in chopped tomatoes or roasted corn kernels. You will only use about half of the stuffing for 4 rellenos.
I end up frying my chiles with the seam side up. This is the most likely place they will split open. I covered the split with a little extra batter if this happened. It fried up nicely. No one will ever know our little secret.
I included the idea to use a pancake batter in case you are intimidated by whipping up egg whites. The egg version is extremely light and doesn’t impart a lot of flavor, but it will soften after cooking. The pancake version will remain crispier, but will also be a little more finicky for frying. It will darken quickly and you will need to ensure it cooks thoroughly.
You may have noticed from my interest in food preservation that I have a very low tolerance for food waste. That’s why I recommend frying up any leftover batter—the egg version puffs up like a delicious omelet and the pancake batter…enough said.
This recipe makes a nice appetizer for four people or serves two per person with a side salad for a satisfying dinner.
Roasting & Storing Chiles:
We roasted our green chiles on the grill for about 5 minutes per side. Then they were wrapped in newspaper and placed in a plastic bag for about 10 minutes to steam. This makes it a lot easier to peel them.
I recommend wearing gloves when handling the chiles. I find the challenging part removing the seeds and some of the ribs without tearing them. A dish of water can be helpful to rinse the seeds off your hands and the flesh of the chiles.
These can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator overnight or frozen individually.
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