Chili Relleno Frittata

A great combination of egg, cheese, chilies, and a crispy corn tortilla crust make this easy Chili Relleno Frittata a keeper. .

 Chili Relleno Frittata

The making of Chili Relleno Frittata

A printer-friendly recipe card can be found at the bottom of this post

Eggs.  It’s what’s for breakfast.

Well, here right now it is as our chickens are giving us four a day, and we are only two people.  But neither my husband nor I are fond of hard-boiled eggs, egg salad, or even for the most part, regular fried or scrambled.  And we don’t eat many desserts, cookies, cakes or other baked goods…so what do you do with all these eggs other than give them away?

Using fried tortilla pieces for the crust gives this frittata a nice flavor and crunch factor.

You come up with creative ways to use eggs.  You make quiches, frittatas, omelets of many flavors, and Huevos Rancheros. That’s what.

Borrowing from the flavors and technique used in the world-famous 1960’s Chili Relleno Casserole that showed up at probably every pot-luck across America, and the idea behind one of our family favorites Catastrophe, I came up with this Chili Relleno Frittata.

What is a Frittata?

A frittata is simply an open-faced omelet.  Generally, you cook eggs and vegetables in a sauté pan on top of the stove until they are just set, then stick it under the broiler to brown up.  Once the eggs were added to this frittata I cooked it more like the Chili Relleno Casserole then a frittata because of the cheese.  I thought baking it would be better in getting it to set-up.  It was.

Using the fried tortilla pieces as a “crust” worked really nicely too.  We really enjoyed the flavor and crunch they provided.

Putting it together is a cinch

Putting this together is really easy.  You could use a non-stick pan if you want, but I find a properly heated stainless skillet works just as well, and then I don’t have to worry about which utensils I’m using, and heck, I can cut it right in the pan!  All you have to do is sauté some torn corn tortillas in some butter and oil until they are crispy, add some lightly caramelized onions, open a small can of whole roasted chilies, such as Ortega, or roast your own, mix the eggs with cheese and a dab of cream, pour over the top, pop in the oven until set and then broil until browned.  Serve.  See.  Easy.

Next time I think I might put a little ranchera sauce on the top, a few slices of avocado, and perhaps a dollop of sour cream.  Yep, definitely going to be the next time.

Chili Relleno Frittata

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A great combination of egg, cheese, chilies, and a crispy corn tortilla crust make this easy Chili Relleno Frittata a keeper.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 5 eggs
• 1/4 cup cream or milk
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup grated jack cheese
• 4 (6-inch) corn tortillas torn
• 2 teaspoons neutral vegetable oil, divided
• 2 teaspoons butter, divided
• 1/2 cup finely diced yellow onion
• 1 (7-ounce) can whole green chilies, halved and patted dry
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Instructions

Step 1

Heat the oven to 375°F. 

In a large bowl beat the eggs with the cream or milk, stir in the cheese. Season with salt and pepper set aside.

Step 2

In a small sauté pan heat one teaspoon oil and butter together over medium heat. Add the onions; cook and stir until lightly browned. 

While the onions cook, heat the remaining oil and butter together in a medium oven-proof sauté pan; add the tortilla pieces, cook, set aside, until lightly browned and crisp. 

Step 3

Add the browned onions to the tortillas and spread evenly over the bottom of the sauté pan, layer the chilies over the top then slowly pour the egg/cheese mixture over the top. Let cook on the stove-top for about 3 minutes, then place in the oven. Bake until set, about 10 - 15 minutes. Once the eggs are set, turn on the broiler and broil until nicely browned on the top. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for about 5 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve. 

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 332Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 10gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 304mgSodium: 859mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 2gProtein: 17g

Nutritional values may not be 100% accurate