John Lewis and Ray England: Chile Relleno Breakfast Casserole

In addition to the magic of oatmeal pumpkin chip muffins, I needed a protein for my Christmas morning breakfast.  Most of the casseroles out there are full of either bread or hashbrowns, but I wanted something straight egg-and-meat.  Finally I found this take on a deconstructed chile relleno that turned out fantastically.  The original recipe didn't call for sausage, but I firmly believe any Tex-Mex breakfast casserole is better with chorizo, so there you go.  Serve with sour cream, guacamole, and salsa.

Chile Relleno Breakfast Casserole
Adapted from John Lewis and Ray England, Juan Luis restaurant, Charleston, SC

1¾ pounds (12 medium) poblano chiles
1½ cups half-and-half
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon kosher salt
8 large eggs
1 garlic clove
Nonstick cooking spray
2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
12 ounces Mexican chorizo, casings removed, cooked, crumbled, and drained
Boiling water, for baking

Preheat the broiler to high and line a sheet pan with foil. Line the chiles next to each other on the pan and broil, turning as needed, until the chiles are well charred, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a heatproof bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let steam for 15 minutes, then peel and deseed the poblanos using the back of a knife.

Lower the oven temperature to 300°F. In a blender, combine the half-and-half, flour, salt, eggs, and garlic. Blend on medium until smooth.

Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and line with a quarter of the roast poblanos, followed by a quarter of the grated cheese and chorizo. Continue this layering process until all the chiles, cheese, and chorizo have been used. Pour the egg mixture in to cover the chiles.

Place the baking dish in a roasting pan and fill the roasting pan with enough boiling water to come up halfway along the sides of the baking dish. Bake until the eggs begin to set, 30 minutes, then raise the temperature to 400°F and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the eggs are fully cooked and the top is golden brown.

Let rest at room temperature for 15 minutes, then slice and serve.

Makes 6 to 8 servings