Hatch Green Chile Chicken Casserole

This is a family favorite, loosely adapted from the Hatch Chile Cookbook, 1994, (pg. 154), no longer in print. This is New Mexico’s answer to an Italian Frittata. A perfect brunch centerpiece for cold fall mornings. The 27-oz. cans of whole fired Hatch green chiles are hard to find. Amazon has them but you will pay a premium for a three-pack. These are a staple ingredient in my Southwest pork chili verde recipe.

I opt instead to use fresh garden poblanos whenever possible. Leftovers keep well for up to two days. Or they may be frozen in portions for later use if desired. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

1 15 oz. can Hatch® green chili enchilada sauce (use 1/2 can for this recipe) 3 fired and peeled garden poblanos, OR- 6 large whole Hatch canned chiles, blotted on paper towel 1/2 pound pulled rotisserie chicken meat 1.5 cups chopped baby spinach 2 fresh garden tomatoes, cored and sliced in 1/4″ planks 3 cloves garlic, roasted and finely minced 1/2 white onion, diced 1 tsp. ground guajillo chili 1/2 tsp. ground Mexican oregano 1/2 tsp. ground coriander 1 tsp. salt, to taste 1/2 tsp. fresh-ground black pepper, to taste 5 large eggs 1/2 cup heavy cream 2 soft tortilla shells, lightly toasted on one side over a gas burner 8 oz. shredded Monterrey Jack cheese 8 oz. shredded Colby cheese Fresh jalapeno slices (optional) 1 stalk scallion, finely sliced as a garnish

DIRECTIONS:

Set your oven temperature to 350° F. Remove the chicken from the fridge and let it come up to room temperature, for about a half-hour. Fire the poblanos with a portable propane torch, taking care to use adequate ventilation and a heat-proof tray to insulate your work surface. I prefer to use a large cast-iron pan on my stovetop with the exhaust fan running on high for this purpose. Place the fired poblanos in a paper lunch bag, seal and allow the skins to sweat for about 12-14 minutes. Rinse off the skins under cold water, blot dry, core and slice the peppers into wide strips. Set aside. Slice the tomatoes and set aside. Roast the garlic and mince. Dice the onion and saute in a pan with a little butter until just soft.

Season the chicken with the ground guajillo chili, salt and pepper to taste. In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, 1/2 can green chili enchilada sauce and 4 oz. of heavy cream. Add the minced garlic, chopped onion, Mexican oregano, coriander, salt and pepper and beat until the eggs are well mixed. Carefully toast the tortilla shells on one side over a gas burner, turning often for about thirty seconds until they are very lightly charred. Cut into sections to fit, and place evenly over the bottom of a greased 12″ cast-iron skillet. Next layer the poblano chili strips, then add a bit of the cheese and the egg/sauce mixture, the tomato slices, chopped spinach, repeating until you have used all of the egg/sauce. Top with the remaining cheese and finally add the jalapeno slices. Bake uncovered for 1 hour, or until most of the liquid has rendered off. Test with a butter knife, remove from the oven and allow to set for five minutes uncovered before serving. Garnish with the sliced scallion.