After having Mexican food in Albuquerque everything else I've had pales in comparison. Although that doesn't stop me from trying different Mexican restaurants in my area, with high hopes each time, I have resorted to making my own dishes. Granted what I make is probably not authentic, but I like that I can control ingredients, like cheese and sauce, which are often used in excess to mask bland flavors.

I came up with the following recipe one evening while experiencing a craving for something Mexican. I make this dish often and depending on what ingredients I have in my pantry, will adjust the recipe. I have included my variations at the bottom.

Easy Chile Relleno

Ingredients

4-6 Poblano peppers

4 oz of cream cheese (I use the one that has 1/3 less fat)

4 oz grated cheese (mild cheddar, jack or a combination of the two work well; you don't want the cheese to overpower the flavor of the chile).

Directions

1. Take out the cream cheese and put it in a bowl to soften. Turn your oven to broil and line a baking sheet with foil (this makes clean up much easier). Place the chillies on the baking sheet and broil them in the oven for 3-4 minutes until the skin starts to turn black. Turn the chillies and broil for another 2-3 minutes. The time may vary depending on your oven but you want the chillies to be blackened on all sides.

2. Remove the chillies from the oven and turn the oven down to 350 degrees. Place the chillies in a large baggy and seal it. Let the chillies steam themselves for 15 minutes (this is to make them easy to peel). While the chillies are steaming, grate the cheese and add it to the bowl of cream cheese. Remove the chillies from the baggy and peel them. (You can do this under cold water if you find the chillies are too hot to touch).

3. Remove the stem of the chile by pulling it from the top and rinse out the chile making sure all the seeds have been removed. Dry the chillies with a paper towel. They should all be open and lying flat.

4. Move the chillies back onto the baking sheet and mix the grated cheese and cream cheese together. Put 1 to 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture into the chillies and then roll the chillies so that the cheese is tucked in.

5. Put the stuffed chillies back into the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Remove from the oven and eat them plain, over rice or with tortillas.

*Variation 1: Add some crab meat to the cream cheese mixture for a crab stuffed chile.

** Variation 2: Add some rice to the pepper before adding the cheese.

***Variation 3: After stuffing the chillies, roll each one in a corn tortilla and place in a baking dish side by side. Spoon green or red enchilada sauce over the tortillas and sprinkle some cheese over the top. Bake for the same amount of time.

Enjoy!