Breakfast Chili Rellenos

When I go to a Mexican restaurant one of my favorite dishes are chili rellenos, a roasted chili stuffed with cheese then dipped in an egg batter and deep fried. It is then served with a red tomato chili sauce. For my breakfast version I want to make the dish lighter so I will skip the batter and bake the dish instead to melt the cheese, add eggs and prosciutto and serve them with a spicy tomato sauce.

Ingredients:

 3 large poblano peppers
 4 eggs
 1/2 pound pancetta and/or 3 sheets of proscuito
 1/2 pound queso fresco
 1/2 pound melting cheese like Montery Jack
 1 cup tomato sauce
 1/2 tsp thyme
 1/2 tsp oregano
 1/2 tsp chili powder
 salt and pepper
 butter

Procedure:

  Roast the chilies over a gas burner or with a torch until the skin is charred. Cover in a bag for 5 minutes then remove the skin. Next you want to make a "T" shaped cut with the top of the "T" at the stem end. The cut should sever the seeds from the stem but do not cut through the opposite side, clean out the seeds and the ribs to make the pepper ready to stuff.

 If you are using pancetta, dice it and crisp it in a skillet. Make soft scrambled eggs and add some grated cheese and the diced pancetta.

 If you are using proscuito open a chili and insert the proscuito into the cavity then fill with the scrambled egg then add some shredded cheese. Stuff the remaining chilies then heat in a 300 degree oven until the cheese is melted and the chilies are cooked to your desired doneness. I like to keep some crispness to mine but some like them completely soft.

 Heat some tomato sauce adding some oregano, thyme, chili powder, salt and pepper to taste. To serve, ladle some tomato sauce on a plate and lay the pepper on top. Crumble the queso fresco over the top and serve.

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