Green Chili Addiction

I don't know when it happened. I can remember hating chili's. I used to pick the green stuff out of the hot cheese. I would pick and pick and only eat it once all that hot green stuff was out. Then came my downfall. I moved to New Mexico. Slowly, patiently and without malice they addicted me to green chili's.

They fed me salsa, they fed me taco's, they fed me fajita's. They gave me breakfast casserole, green chili stew, menudo. Green chili's took over my taste buds. Now I find that I need (need!!) green chili's. If I go too long without them I crave them like a pregnant woman craves pickles and ice cream.

New Mexico has the best, absolutely best, green chili's. You can go to any WalMart and they will let you buy green chili's and then roast them on the spot. Nothing smells so good as WalMart in chili season!

If you can buy Hatch green chili's do it. These are the best green chili's available. The town of Hatch, NM has something, be it climate, be it soil, but it is somethiing, that makes their chili's the best in the world. This report tells that chili is not addictive. I disagree! I am living proof that chili's are addictive. I hated chili's...now I crave them.

Last night I was craving green chili's.  I looked through my cupboards to find something to make.  The cupboards were a little bare, I really need to go shopping.  I did end up making a type of green chili breakfast casserole that turned out very good.

Most breakfast casseroles of this type that I have eaten are made with frozen shredded hash brown potatoes.  I did not have any on hand, so I substituted some stuffing mix.  The result was a dish halfway between breakfast casserole and strata.  The kids and I loved it!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups Stuffing Mix

4 tblsp Butter

1/2 cup Water

1/4 cup Chopped Onion

8 Eggs

2 cups Milk

1-2 cups Shredded Sharp Cheddar

5 slices Pre-Cooked Bacon

4oz can Diced Mild Green Chili

Salt and Pepper to taste

Sauté the onions in 1 tblsp of butter until the begin to brown.  Add the remaining butter and the water.  Bring the water to a boil, let the butter melt.  Turn off the pan and add the stuffing.  Mix it together. 

Spray a 9" x 13" pan with Pam.  Put the stuffing in the bottom of the pan in an even layer.  Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top of the stuffing.  Chop the bacon and sprinkle it evenly over the top of the cheese.  Sprinkle the green chili over the top of all.  (You don't have to use the entire can if you are worried it will be too hot.  You can start with 1/2 of the can, and experiment until you find the correct heat for your family.  Freeze the leftover chili to use later.)

Break the eggs into a bowl.  Add the milk and salt and pepper to taste.  Mix this well and pour over the top of everything in the pan.  Cover and bake in a preheated oven at 325 degrees F for 45 minutes to one hour, or until a toothpick put into the center comes out clean.

Let it sit 10 minutes before serving.  Then serve and enjoy!

I love green chili's. They have a wonderful smokey, sweet, hot flavor that defies description. I must have my green chili's at least once a week! If not I simply cannot get them out of my mind. I always keep a couple of 4 oz cans of green chili's on hand, just in case. Like last night, the cravings will come on unexpectedly.

When I lived in New Mexico, I always had the Hatch brand in my cupboard. I have not found these out east, so I have to make do with what I can find. I really miss the smell of roasting green chili's that occurs at the end of each summer in New Mexico. It is fun to stand and watch the people turn the huge roasters and smell the chili's cooking.

Chili roasting starts in mid to late August in New Mexico. Southern New Mexico grows 75% of the chili peppers you eat.  Late summer and early fall will find New Mexicans everywhere gathering with friends and family for "Chili" parties.  They will combine their resources to get a batch of roasted chili's, then donning gloves set about the task of peeling, chopping and freezing.

These gatherings are filled with fun, family and friendship.  People know they will have to freeze enough chili's to last until the following year.  Real New Mexicans frown down on using chili's from a can.  They know that the only real green chili was fresh when they bought it.  New Mexicans use green chili almost every day of the week, it seems.  It is alot of work to prepare a year's worth.

Green chili's are very good for you!  One green chili pod has as much vitamin C as 6 oranges.  Green Chili's increase you metabolism, that is why you will sometimes break out in a sweat when you eat them. Green chili's are an excellent source of vitamin A and have several necessary minerals.

Chili peppers and cheese seem to go together so naturally.  And did you know the best way to stop the "burn" in you mouth is to drink milk or eat a dairy product.  Maybe this is why cheese is so often included in chili dishes.