Polenta with Green Chiles and Cheese

When you are in the mood for indulgent comfort food, this recipe is a must. The creamy polenta and spicy green chile topped with golden brown cheese is the perfect combination. (just thinking about it makes me hungry...) Add a glass of dry white wine on the side and treat yourself!

Polenta with Green Chiles and Cheese

adapted from Bon Appetit, January 1998

Ingredients:

3 cups milk

3/4 cup yellow cornmeal

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup roasted, peeled, diced green chilies (seen here)

1 cup drained canned corn

1/8 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 cups grated mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup whipping cream

Method:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter an 8” x 8” glass baking dish. Mix first 5 ingredients in heavy medium saucepan. Bring to simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly. Cook until polenta is tender and thickens, stirring often, about 12 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in Parmesan.

Pour half of polenta into prepared dish. Cover with half of chilies and half of corn. Sprinkle with half of cilantro and 1 cup Jack cheese. Drizzle with 1/4 cup cream. Spoon remaining polenta over. Cover with remaining chilies, corn, cilantro and cheese. Pour 1/4 cup cream over. Bake until polenta puffs and cheese begins to brown, about 30 minutes if chilled. Enjoy!

Green Chile Egg and Bacon Breakfast Puffs

These delicious little puffs are a breakfast treat! The egg and the cheeses will take a little of the kick from the green chiles so add a little extra if you like them hot. You can substitute the bacon with ham if you prefer!

Servings: 12 Puffs
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:
1/2 lb Bacon, Cooked and Chopped (Hickory Smoked Bacon will add extra flavor)
5 Eggs Beaten
1 Cup of Cottage Cheese
3/4 Cup of Cheddar Cheese Shredded
3/4 Cup of Monterey Jack Cheese Shredded
1/4 Cup Green Chile (adjust this amount to your liking)
4 Tbsp Flour
4 Tbsp Melted Butter
1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
1/4 Tsp Salt

Method: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease muffin tins well as the eggs will have a tendency to stick to the pans. Mix all the above ingredients together Pour into muffin pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown on the top.

Green Chile Beer Bread

This bread recipe is really simple and versatile, no kneading or rising required! I made the bread with few types of beer and found that I liked the recipe made with a Belgian White (sweeter), while my husband liked it better with a Brown Ale (nuttier). I also added a bonus recipe...Green Chile Beer Bread French Toast. I know what you're thinking...sounds weird? It's good trust me!

Green Chile Beer Bread

adapted from Epicurious, October 1999

Servings: 1 Loaf

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

3 cups Flour

1 Tbsp. Baking Powder

2 Tbsp. Sugar

1 tsp. Salt

1 bottle Beer

1/4 cup Green Chile - roasted and peeled

1/2 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese - grated

1 Tbsp. Butter - melted

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan with butter or non-stick pan spray. In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Add beer stirring just until incorporated (do not over mix). Fold in green chile and cheese. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and top with melted butter. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Turn out on a rack and cool.

Bonus Recipe!

Green Chile Beer Bread French Toast

Ingredients:

1 Egg

1/2 cup Milk

1 Tbsp. Butter

2 slices Green Chile Beer Bread

Method:

In a shallow dish, whisk together egg and milk. Melt butter in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Dip each slice of bread in egg and milk mixture, coating both sides and allowing to soak for a few seconds. Place bread slices in the skillet. Brown on both sides and transfer french toast to serving plate...enjoy!

Green Chile Stuffed Chicken

This stuffed chicken recipe is super easy to make. Just a few ingredients and a short amount of time will yield you yummy results! Feel free to substitute different cheeses for different results. Add as little or as much green chile as you prefer. Enjoy!

Servings: 2

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

2 Chicken Breasts

2 Tbsp butter 1 Garlic Clove Minced

1/4 cup Bread Crumbs

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese - grated

1/4 cup Cheddar cheese - grated

1/4 Tsp Parsley

1/8 Tsp Oregano

1/8 Tsp Salt

1/8 Tsp Pepper

Chopped, roasted green chiles

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.

Add the garlic and saute for a few minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

Mix the bread crumbs, Parmesan, cheddar, parsley, oregano, salt and pepper in a bowl and set aside.

Cut the chicken breast in half length wise, being careful not to completely cut the slices apart - leaving at least an inch of the breast still attached.

Open the chicken breasts and stuff with green chile to your liking.

Dip the chicken in the butter/garlic, coating evenly.

Place the chicken in the bread crumb/cheese mixture making sure to cover the entire chicken breast.

Place in an oven safe dish and cook for 25-30 minutes.

Green Chile Roasting

You can buy your green chile ready to use, whether it is canned, frozen, or simply roasted and ready for you to peal and chop! However if you are lucky enough to be able to roast it yourself you are in for a real treat! The smell of roasting green chile is amazing and your neighbors will appreciate it too!

Here are the steps to one of the best parts of fall in New Mexico, roasting green chile!

Preparations Wash and dry your chiles. Prepare your gas grill by making sure you have enough gas, clean/scrape the grate clear, turn it on high and let it get hot.
Grilling Your Chile Arrange your green chiles on the grill in a single layer. Blister (blacken) the skins on each side, this will require using tongs to turns the chiles over one time. The skin on the chiles should look mostly black. Sweating the Chile Once the chiles have been evenly blistered they need to be steamed so that the burnt skin can be removed from the meat of the chile. The best way we know how to do this is by getting a medium sized cooler/ice chest and lining it with a new trash bag. Place a folded-up, dampened hand towel on the bottom of the bag. Throw the chiles in the prepared cooler directly after taking them off the grill. Place another dampened towel on top of the freshly roasted chiles. Repeat the roasting process with adding more chiles to the cooler until finished roasting all chiles. You do not have to add a new towel for each new batch of chiles, simply keep placing the existing top towel back on top after adding chiles. Once roasting is complete let chiles steam in the cooler for 30 minutes to an hour. You're almost there! The next step is to remove the skin, seeds, and stem from the chiles or you may choose to freeze the chiles whole at this point. If you decide to peal all or some of the chiles fill up a clean sink with water. Place the chiles under water while removing the skin, digging out the seeds and pealing off the blackened skin. Place the remaining chile meat on a cutting board and sprinkle with garlic salt. This important step brings out the amazing flavor of the world famous Hatch Chile! Chop the chile into small bit sized pieces. Chile can be used immediately or frozen for future use. Enjoy the best ingredient known to New Mexico!