Chiles Rellenos, Baked Not Fried

This rendition of the classic cheese-stuffed chiles uses just a fraction of the usual grease

Chiles rellenos are traditionally stuffed, coated with a stiff egg mixture, deep-fried, and served with a fresh tomato sauce. Guajillo Studio/Shutterstock

Chiles rellenos harnesses the glorious combination of chile and cheese, an unstoppable culinary force if there ever was one. Consider the pizzaz that chile flakes add to pizza, or the pungent spice a green chile adds to a cheeseburger, or the beer-absorbent qualities of a jalapeño popper, itself a miniature, simplified version of a chile relleno.

An ornery pepper, spicy and pungent, will soften in the creamy embrace of the cheese, and each will taste more vivid in the presence of the other. A chile relleno builds on this combination, and wraps it in stiffened egg coating.