cooking with the good stuff

The recipes below are green chile-based. In the mood for something else (including my favorite chili recipe)? Visit other favorites.

You can do just about anything with green chiles -- they're what's for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and everything in between. I've even had green chile beer and green chile margaritas. But even seasoned green chile connoisseurs can benefit from a new recipe now and then. Sadly, none of these recipes are my own, which is probably why they're really good.

Here are just a few to get started - click on photos to jump to the recipes. More to come later!

Street Corn Dip

Green Chile Caviar

Green Chile Stew

Apple Cornbread

Hatch-y Marys

Chile Cheeseburgers

Green Chile Pizza

Green Chile - huh?

Green Chile Lasagna

Green Chile Fudge

Cheesy Chile Dip

Bleu Green Burgers

a few quick tips

• Freeze with skins on.
• Thaw and remove skins and seeds before eating/cooking with chiles (you can thaw in bags under running water).
• DO NOT run chiles directly under water or you will lose the flavor and heat.

 

green chile street corn dip

This recipe was shamelessly stolen from the place where I order 100+ pounds of green chiles every year. I figure they probably won't mind.

Ingredients:

• 3-4 ears of corn, shucked and rinsed
• 3 green chiles, chopped and seeded
• 2 tbsp. salted butter
• 3 tbsp. queso fresco (or desired Mexican cheese)
• 1 tbsp. mayonnaise
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 2 tsp. chile powder
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• salt to taste
• cilantro to taste and garnish
• chips for serving

1. Combine corn (cut off the cob), green chile, and butter in a skillet over medium heat. Saute mixture until warmed through and corn is slightly charred.
2. Remove from heat and add mayo, garlic salt, chile powder, lime juice, salt and cilantro.
3. Stir to combine.
4. Serve! Alongside chips, atop a juicy burger, in a vegetarian pita pocket, or simply grab a spoon and go to town.
   

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green chile caviar

You've probably heard of Southwest caviar. It has green chiles, corn, beans, and about everything but the kitchen sink in it. It's okay, but I'm a purist. I first experienced this taste explosion while at a little restaurant by the train depot in Santa Fe. If this doesn't sound good to you, you probably stumbled on this site by mistake.

Ingredients:

• 5 large (Big Jim/medium) or 8 small (Sandia/hot) green chiles
• 4-5 cloves finely chopped garlic
• cilantro to taste
• several tablespoons lemon juice
• chips for serving (or a spoon if you just want to shovel it in your mouth)

You will have garlic breath the next day. Worth it!

1. Peel, seed and chop the chiles.
2. Peel and finely chop the garlic and cilantro, and add to the chiles.
3. Squeeze in enough fresh lemon juice so that there's a little bit of juice on the bottom of the bowl.
4. Stir and serve with chips and cold beer, ideally next to a chiminea that's burning pinon wood.

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green chile stew

Green chile stew is required to get through fall and winter. I got this recipe when I lived in New Mexico . It is hands-down THE BEST. I make mine vegetarian, but you can add meat of any kind of you're into that kind of thing. To me, the simpler, the better. Goes great with apple cornbread (recipe below), chips or warm tortillas.

Ingredients: (NOTE: This recipe is not the best for freezing because of potatoes.)

• 2-3 T. vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2-4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2-3 t. cumin
• 1/2 t. black pepper
• a few pinches oregano
• 2 med. boiling potatoes, unpeeled & cut into small chunks
• approx. 8 whole green chiles, chopped (about 2/3 cup)
• 5 c. vegetable broth
• optional: 2 t. chopped fresh jalapenos
• garnish: shredded Monterey Jack cheese and chopped cilantro
• optional garnish: bacon, green onions, sour cream, cheddar cheese

1. Heat oil in 2-qt. pan, add onion and garlic, and cook, covered, over low heat for about 5 minutes until onions wilt.
2. Uncover pan, raise heat to medium, and stir in cumin and pepper. Stir for 2-3 minutes, until onions start to show signs of browning. Then add oregano, potatoes, green chiles, jalapenos and broth.
3. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer slowly for 45 minutes. Serve very hot with cheese and cilantro.

Sour cream variation - Mix 1/2 c. sour cream with bit of hot broth, then stir mixture into soup off the heat after the soup has finished cooking.

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apple cornbread

This is another recipe that traveled home with me from New Mexico. It's easy (cutting apples takes a while, though) and is a million times better than any cornbread you can make with a mix. It's super moist and gets a lot of sweetness from the apples. It doesn't call for green chiles, but use 'em if you've got 'em. It goes great with chili.

Ingredients:

• 1 c. cornmeal
• 1 c. flour
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 1 T. baking powder
• 1 1/2 t. salt
• 1 egg
• 1 c. milk
• 4 T. melted butter
• 2 tart apples, cored & diced (unpeeled)

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Mix together dry ingredients.
3. Beat together egg, milk and butter, and add to dry ingredients along with apples, stirring just enough to moisten.
4. Pour into greased 9-in-square pan and bake 20-25 minutes.

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HATCH-Y MARYS

This is a do-it-yourselfer. Make it to taste, and enjoy over ice!

• Vodka or tequila (use the good stuff - I use green chile-infused tequila and it's amazing)
• Tomato juice or a good Bloody mix
• Roasted Hatch chiles
• Lime juice
• Worcestershire sauce
• Chimayo red chile powder

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green chile cheeseburgers

Make your favorite cheeseburger or veggie burger (best with Monterey Jack, in my opinion, with toasted bun). Pile green chiles on with your other favorite toppings. Serve with your favorite sides. Mmm.

green chile pizza

Another delicious no-brainer. Make or buy your favorite pizza. Pile on your fire-roasted green chiles and ... nom nom.

 

green chile chocolate chip cookies

I shamelessly stole this recipe and description from The Beach Baker (adapted from Melissa's Hatch Chile Cookbook). Green chiles paired with chocolate chip cookies sounds like something from a wild fantasy. Only it's real. Enjoy!

(From Beach Baker's site: At first, a chocolate chip cookie with peppers in it sounds ... revolting? Just plain wrong? Stay with me though, because you'll be making these all of the time, I swear. They are easy to make and the dough freezes beautifully, which is good because the recipe makes about five zillion cookies (okay, more like four dozen) and a two-person household has no business making 48 cookies at one time.)

Makes about 4 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 c. granulated sugar
• 1 c. packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 t. vanilla extract
• 3 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 t. baking soda
• 1/2 t. salt 
• 2 c. dark chocolate chips
• 1 c. roasted, finely chopped Hatch chiles

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars until smooth (about 2 minutes).
2. Beat in eggs and vanilla extract. Next, add in the flour, baking soda and salt. With a rubber spatula, fold in the chiles and chocolate chips.
3. Using a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop, drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto parchment-lined cookie sheets. Bake until the cookies begin to brown, about 12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack and enjoy!

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green chile lasagne

This is another one from The Hatch Chile Store. I'm not sure where they come up with their recipes, but they sure are good.

• 1 1/2 lb. roasted, peeled green chile
• 1 1/2 lb. lasagna noodles
• Ricotta cheese
• 1 qt. spaghetti sauce
• 2 lb. mozzarella cheese
• 8 oz. Parmesan cheese
• 8 oz. grated Romano cheese
• 5 large eggs
• Salt, pepper, garlic powder, basil, thyme, oregano

1. Mix eggs, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, Romano cheese, 1/2 mozzarella cheese, roasted & peeled green chile, mix well. Put aside till needed.  
2. Season to taste with salt, pepper, garlic powder, basil, thyme, and oregano.  
3. Cook noodles till soft then cool with cool water in a strainer.  
4. Spray a 6 x 9 x 2 baking pan with cooking spray then place noodles in pan side by side in one layer.  
5. Spread 1/2 of the cheese mix on first layer, next spread spaghetti sauce over the cheese and repeat process.  
6. Preheat oven for 15 minutes at 350 degrees.  
7. Place pan in oven for 30 to 40 minutes.  Lightly brown on top.  
8. Serve hot and enjoy our Green Chile Lasagna recipe! 

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green chile whiskey fudge

I don't have a clue how much this makes. I haven't made it. Yet. If you would like to make it for me, I would be most grateful, because it sounds really good.

• 5 cups sugar (2 pounds)
• 2-3 roasted green chiles, peeled and chopped
• 2 sticks unsalted butter
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla
• 25 large marshmallows, ripped in half
• 11.5 oz Ghiradelli 60% cocoa bittersweet chocolate chips
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 3/4 cup Jack Daniels, or a whiskey you really like. You will be able to really taste it!

1. Whisk whiskey with confectioner’s sugar and green chiles, and set aside.
2. Foil and butter a 9 x 13 (or larger) baking pan.
3. Put sugar, butter, milk, and vanilla in a large pot with a heavy bottom. 
4. Stirring steadily until mixture boils, continue stirring while letting it boil for 3 minutes (time it, this is important). Remove from heat.
5. Add the marshmallows and chocolate, stirring until all of it is melted and blended into the sugar mix.
6. Give whiskey/green chile mixture a quick stir, and add it to the pot, stirring until fully incorporated.
7. Pour into a greased pan, and chill. Let mellow for a day before cutting.
   

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