“NAKED” CHILE RELLENOS WITH WITH CRISPY CHEESE AND AVOCADO & CORN SALSA

So if you follow my newer instagram account @recipeschmecipe then you know this post is coming… but if not then let me explain. This is my take on the chile relleno. Typically they are a roasted and peeled poblano (or pasilla depending on where you are from) pepper stuffed with queso fresco and then battered and fried… and then sometimes smothered in a yummy sauce. So so so good. I call mine “naked” because I skip the battered and fried part. I didn’t initially do this for health reasons, I did it because I don’t always love that the batter can get soggy under the sauce and sometimes fried foods make me feel a little bit crummy afterwards. I also discovered that adding the cheese crisps takes care of the crispy factor that the batter is supposed to bring! So these are my version!  

You will need (measurements based on number of people served):
1 fresh poblano pepper for each person (these can also be labeled “pasilla” peppers as well just a fyi… but do not buy dried pasillas, buy fresh)
Queso Fresco (About 2-3 slices per pepper)
Shredded Mexican blend cheese (about 3-4 Tbs per pepper)

Corn, avocado, and tomato salsa (recipe to follow, serves 4-5 peppers)
1 cup of raw corn (cooked quickly in a little butter with salt and pepper and set aside to come to room temp).
1 cup of fresh diced tomatoes
1 avocado (diced)
the juice of 1 lime
2 Tbs chopped cilantro
salt
pepper
a few dashes of onion powder
Combine in a bowl and refrigerate until ready to use

For your peppers:
If you have gas burners- place your pepper on the direct flame and char your peppers completely
If you don’t have gas burners- place peppers under the broiler flipping periodically until charred completely.

Place your peppers in a ziploc bag or place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap or foil and let cool. The steam that develops will loosen the skin on the peppers. Once cool enough to handle remove from the bowl and using your hands or a towel, rub the charred skin off.

Carefully cut the tops off and remove any seeds that remain.

Preheat your oven to 425F. Place empty peppers on a baking sheet. Stuff with a few slices of queso fresco and sprinkle with about 1 Tbs of the shredded cheese. You can also do the crisps on the same sheet if you have room OR you can do them on a separate sheet and put them all in together.

 
The cheese crisps take way less time than the peppers so keep an eye on them. To make them- place little piles of the shredded mexican blend cheese on your baking sheet and tap to flatten and spread out a bit. bake for 5 minutes and remove. Reserve for later.

Roast peppers for about 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted inside. Transfer to your plate, top with a generous heaping of salsa and a few crisps per pepper and serve!