Rajas con Crema Taco Casserole

Rajas con Crema is a traditional Mexican dish consisting of strips of roasted Poblano peppers and onion simmered in Mexican cream. The rajas are then usually eaten in corn tortillas as tacos or atop rice. It’s one of the few vegetarian dishes that leaves me totally satisfied. Here’s my version of the dish made into a casserole; it’s perfect for potlucks or for when you want a meal you can prep in the morning then pop into the oven at dinnertime.

Rajas con Crema Taco Casserole

You need:

6 – 8 chiles poblanos
16 oz. crema Mexicana (I used Lala brand)
2 cups shredded mozzarella or shredded queso chihuahua
half of one medium red onion, (about 1/2 cup when later cut into strips)
12 corn tortillas, lightly toasted on a dry comal and cut in 1 inch strips
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
salt
cooking spray for greasing the pan

Note: A pizza cutter works great to cut the tortillas into strips

Method:

1. Roast the whole chiles until the skin is blackend, either over fire if you have gas stove, or on a dry comal (griddle.)

At this time you will also cut the onion half in quarters and place on the comal, moving as needed to slightly roast all flat sides. Remove the onion to cool for a moment before slicing in tiny, thin strips. Measure out ½ cup onion for this recipe.

2. Wrap the chiles in a paper towel and seal inside a large paper or plastic bag for at least 5 minutes. (This process is called “sweating” the chiles.)

3. Remove the chiles from the bag and the paper towel. Use your fingers, a knife or spoon to scrape most of the blackened skin off the chiles. It’s okay to leave some behind. Do not wash the chiles in water.

4. Use a knife to cut off the stem and slice the chiles open. Cut off and discard the seeds and membrane, then slice the chiles into ½ inch to 1 inch strips. It’s okay if a few seeds remain, just be aware that the more you use, the spicier the dish will be.

5. In a greased 9×13 glass or metal pan, put down a layer of tortilla strips, overlapping slightly. Sprinkle with a little salt. Next add a layer of chili strips and a layer of onion, using all your chili and onion.

6. Drop crema by the spoonful on top of the chiles and onion, spreading in an even layer with the back of the spoon.

7. Top with another layer of tortilla strips, sprinkle with salt, and then add the cheese. Drizzle the melted butter over the top.

8. Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes uncovered, then broil high for 1 minute to get some nice, toasty brown spots on the cheese. Cut and serve. Serves 4 to 6.

Tip: Cooking for a crowd? Double the ingredients and layers! (This may require a slightly longer bake time.)