Baked Chiles Rellenos

Chiles Rellenos are one of my favorite things to order at Mexican restaurants.  A chile stuffed with cheese, dipped in egg batter, cooked, and drowned in enchilada sauce?  Yes, please!  For years now I've been meaning to make a baked version of Chiles Rellenos and finally got around to doing it today since it's Cinco de Mayo, using my spin on this recipe.  I expected the result to pale in comparison to the real thing, but it was actually really, REALLY good.  My husband and I both stuffed ourselves, and I don't think it's just because we adore green chiles.  Still not as good as authentic Chiles Rellenos, but a nice approximation!  We will definitely have it again and again.  It's also super easy to make- I have a terrible cold and my husband decided to make it while I supervised.  He did a great job!  Next time I'm going to try putting a string cheese (mozzarella) in each chile instead of laying them down flat, but as written it was delicious, too.

Baked Chiles Rellenos

2  7 oz cans whole green chiles, drained
8 oz shredded monterey jack cheese
3 eggs
2 T flour
5 oz can evaporated milk (NOT sweetened condensed!)
10 oz can red enchilada sauce

Preheat oven to 350 and grease an 8 by 8 baking dish.  Slice down one side of each green chile so it can lie flat.  Pat dry and arrange half the chiles in the bottom of the prepared baking dish.  Top with half the cheese and the remaining flat chiles.  In a medium bowl, beat eggs, then beat in flour until as smooth as possible.  Beat in evaporated milk, then pour mixture evenly over chiles.  Bake in preheated oven 25 minutes, then top with enchilada sauce and remaining cheese.  Bake 15 to 20 more minutes, until bubbly around the edges.  Let cool a few minutes before serving.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings