Inspiration: Like most people, we have our favorite places in town. For us, one of those places is a brightly outfitted Mexican-American spot where we sit in striped booths, eat tortilla chips from a red basket, and sip our beverages of choice – usually margaritas for me (and strong ones at that!) and a tall frosted mug of Dos Equis for Brandon. This is the only place that I’ve ever been where it’s sometimes unwise of me to order a second margarita, so that = yes. Anyway, this restaurant serves up chile rellenos in the most delicious form – piping hot, oozing with melted cheese, covered in a smoky sauce. Yes, yes, and yes again. Frittatas are significantly less exciting fare, but you know what? A frittata based on one of my favorite Mexican dishes can’t be a bad thing.

What we Loved: This frittata had all of the flavors that I expect from a chile relleno, just in a rearranged form. Spicy, earthy poblano peppers, browned onions, fresh cilantro, perfectly melted cheese, and a smoky, spicy red sauce. It’s a wonderful combination of Mexican flavors and spices, and probably as similar to a chile relleno that you can get in frittata form. We ate this both for dinner and for breakfast, and while I loved it in each setting, I preferred it for breakfast because it made me feel like I was eating a Mexican treat first thing out of bed. I can get behind that! Now if only I can sneak a margarita into breakfast? ;)

Helpful Hints: Chihuahua cheese is my favorite melting cheese, particularly for use in Mexican dishes. It melts like no other cheese that I’ve found, so if you can find it, I would definitely recommend using it. I find ours at the cheese section at Whole Foods.

Chile Relleno Frittata
Source: Original Recipe

For the Frittata
1 tablespoon butter
3 medium poblano peppers, seeded and diced
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
10 eggs
Handful fresh cilantro, minced
Kosher salt and black pepper
1 cup chihuahua cheese, shredded

1. Melt the butter in a large saute pan, and then add the peppers and onions. Saute until the vegetables are softened and beginning to brown. Add the garlic, and cook for one minute more.

2. Whisk the eggs, cilantro, and 1/4 cup cheese together. Season well with salt and pepper.

3. Pour the eggs into the pan, and place into a 350 degree oven. Cook until the eggs are just set, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the eggs, and bake for 3-4 minutes more, until the cheese melts.

4. Serve topped with the chipotle sauce.

For the Chipotle Sauce
This will make a lot more than needed (~2 cups), but you can freeze the extra and it makes a great chile relleno or enchilada sauce.

1-2 chipotle chiles, diced, and 2 teaspoons of adobo sauce (be cautious here, depending on how much spice you like)
Extra virgin olive oil
1/2 Vidalia onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried oregano
14 oz can diced tomatoes
1 cup stock (I used chicken; use vegetable to keep this vegetarian)

1. Heat  a drizzle of olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions, and cook until softened. Add the garlic, cumin, and oregano, and stir to combine, cooking a minute longer.

2. Add the chiles, adobo sauce, tomatoes, and chicken stock. Simmer 20 minutes.

3. Pour the sauce mixture into a food processor and process until smooth.