Anaheim Chili-Rice Casserole

With all of the problems with late-blight fungus on tomato plants in home gardens here on the east coast this summer, I was able to avoid the worst of it. Every other day I spent an hour or two snipping spotted leaves off of the tomato plants, and I doused them with fungicide regularly. I was rewarded with my best crop of tomatoes in years.


Alas, we went on vacation before they were all ripe. I had to leave many, many green tomatoes still on the vines. But I was able to pack 35 pounds of tomatoes to take to the beach (and a good amount of bell peppers, Anaheim peppers, banana peppers, and zucchini as well).


The Pre-Beach Harvest:




We have, not surprisingly, been eating a lot of meals containing peppers and tomatoes (and only slightly fewer which contain zucchini).


I put this together for dinner one night and Jack liked it so much that he insisted I type it into Mastercook before I forgot what I did. In addition to using up a good amount of Anaheim peppers and tomatoes, this would be a great dish for a buffet or potluck as we discovered that it tastes even better when reheated.





* Exported from MasterCook *



Anaheim Chili-Rice Casserole

Recipe By: Vicci
Servings: 6


Note: The rice and the pepper-onion mixture must be made ahead and cooled to room temperature so allow time for this (these two steps can be also done ahead of time).


Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------

1 cup long-grain rice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound Anaheim chili peppers -- sliced lengthwise, seeds and core removed, sliced 1/4" thick
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
2 large garlic cloves -- minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper -- optional
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
1 can canned diced tomato -- with jalapeno, drained
1 1/2 cups chopped tomato
4 ounces lowfat cheddar cheese -- shredded
3 ounces manchego cheese -- shredded
1 small tomato -- sliced 1/4 thick


Cook rice according to directions, cool.


Heat oil in a large skillet and add peppers, saute for 3 mintutes then add the chopped onion and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, saute for a minute, then stir in the cumin and salt and set aside to cool to room temperature.


Preheat oven to 375F.


Whisk eggs and egg whites in a small bowl. In another bowl, mix the canned and chopped fresh tomato. In yet another bowl, mix the cheddar and manchego cheeses.


Coat a 2 quart baking dish with cooking spray and cover the bottom with one half of the tomato mixture.


Stir the cooled and cooked rice into the cooled pepper and onion mixture, add the chipotle pepper and then the egg mixture. Mix well, then spread half of this mixture on top of the tomato mixture in the casserole dish. Sprinkle with half of the cheese, then layer the remaining tomato mixture and then the rice mixture. Do not use the rest of the cheese, set it aside.


Arrange the fresh tomato slices on top of the rice and spray the entire surface with cooking spray.


Bake the casserole, uncovered, for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with the remaining cheese mixture. Return to the oven and bake for 5 more minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before serving, to make slicing easier.



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Per serving: 315 Calories (kcal); 11g Total Fat (5g Saturated); (30% calories from fat); 16g Protein; 39g Carbohydrate; 81mg Cholesterol; 342mg Sodium
Food Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 2 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates



I served this with pan-fried, cornmeal-crusted tilapia.