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Keto Chile Relleno Casserole takes just 15 minutes to assemble and 45 minutes to bake. This easy authentic tasting Mexican meal is a crowd pleaser and also perfect for Low Carb, Primal (dairy + Paleo) and the GAPS diet.
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Authentic Mexican Food
Growing up close to Mexico meant having authentic Mexican cooking in our home, as a way of life. It meant holding poblanos over the gas flame to char them, boiling nopalitos and mixing them with tomatoes, raw onion and cilantro, it meant albondigas soup. (It never meant an easy Keto, Paleo, GAPS Mexican dinner casserole, by the way; but we’re getting there!)
It meant chile rellenos on Friday nights.
Some were stuffed with meat, and some cheese. They were spicy and refined, silky and rich, surrounded by a bath of unadorned, smooth, hot tomato sauce. They were my dad’s favorite Mexican food. And they felt at once mysterious/other and like home.
Chile Relleno Casserole
Canned green chilies are one of the few prepared foods I still buy. For a busy mom that would NEVER at this stage in my life roast poblanos, their flavor brings me back to the comfort foods with which I grew up.
This casserole is spicy, by the way, so get mild chilies and mild salsa if you don’t want heat.
It has all the classic elements of an old favorite, but in casserole form — which means an easy assembly: it can be made ahead of time if that’s helpful, it has a quick kitchen clean-up, then pop it in the oven. I love casseroles! They’re down home, yet special.
Serve topped with sour cream, fresh cilantro and olives.
Keto, Low Carb, GAPS, Paleo, (egg-free) Mexican casserole~
It’s a Keto, Low Carb, GAPS, and Paleo Mexican casserole, yes! Such a lovely dinner for all these diets.
You’ll see the few variations below in the recipe, to make sure it’s right for you on the healing diet you’ve chosen!
One other detail to be aware of: The meat that goes into this casserole is raw. The meat cooks as the casserole bakes. A very light textured meat results because the casserole contains a bit of grain-free flour and leavening.
The raw meat also means one less step: This casserole is fast to make and assemble! The cooking happens in the oven. 🙂
Keto Chile Relleno Casserole is a cheesy comfort food casserole that's easy to assemble and delivers big on authentic Mexican flavor.
- 2 pounds ground beef , preferably pasture-raised
- 3 small onions , diced, or 2 large (OR less, for stricter Keto, depending on personal preference)
- 1 cup water , filtered
- 14 ounces (or about 1-1/2 cups) red salsa , fresh pico de gallo or jarred (homemade or store-bought)
- 8 ounces cheese , grated (aged cheddar)
- 8 ounces whole green chilies , canned, cut along one line and opened so they can be splayed
- 8 ounces diced green chilies , canned
- 1 7-ounce jar tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 2 Tablespoons psyllium husk powder (NOT husks, see link below); for Paleo version use 2/3 cup cassava flour; for GAPS version/Keto variation use 1/3 cup coconut flour
- 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar or 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon baking soda , sifted
- fresh cilantro , minced, for garnish
- freshly ground pepper to taste
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a large casserole dish, like a 9" by 13".
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In medium size bowl combine salsa, tomato paste and cumin, stirring well. Measure out 1 cup. Set aside.
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Combine in small bowl: psyllium husk powder, baking soda and optional cream of tartar. Set aside.
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In large mixing bowl add the following: beef, water, the 1 cup portion of thickened salsa, onions, diced green chilies, apple cider vinegar, oregano, sea salt and pepper. Mix well.
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Add the psyllium husk powder mixture to the large mixing bowl, and stir well again.
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Spread meat mixture into greased casserole. Top with remaining salsa. Lay whole green chilies (spread out) over the surface.
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Bake in preheated oven about 45 minutes, until bubbly around edges and slightly puffed all over. Remove from oven.
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Top casserole with grated cheese. Return casserole to hot oven for 10 minutes, until cheese is well melted, but not crispy (it should be soft and creamy on top).
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Serve with salad, sour cream and olives. Top with fresh cilantro.
Find psyllium husk powder here.
It’s an easy and delicious dinner! Are you ready to make this?
Looking for more great Keto, Low Carb, Primal and GAPS casseroles? Here are a few other favorites:
- Instant Pot or Crock Pot Enchilada Casserole
- Cauliflower-Chicken Au Gratin Casserole with Bacon
- Pizza Bake Casserole
- Artichoke Feta Breakfast Casserole
[email protected]'s Nourishing Kitchen says
My husband loves Mexican foods! Living in Canada meaning we don’t eat much Mexican and there are fewer Mexican restaurants to go to. I would love to try cooking authentic Mexican at home!
Megan Stevens says
Oh I hope you get to, what fun. xo
[email protected] Tessa the Domestic Diva says
This casserole looks so good!! And this tie of year, one can never have enough casseroles! Will definitely try it!
Megan Stevens says
SO true. Yay for casseroles in the middle of winter!
Joni Jessica says
I think I just found my Wednesday dinner plans! Yuuuummmy!
Megan Stevens says
Yay!!
Jean says
Mexican food is my absolute favorite and this looks fantastic!
Megan Stevens says
Yay Jean!! Thank you!
Yvonne Janowski says
I am now a true fan! Not only does this casserole look amazzzing, but most importantly it is Keto! I can’t wait to make this for SuperBowl. I am sure it will be a huge hit .
Megan Stevens says
Aw, I love that idea!! Especially because it’s super good scooped up with pork rind chips and dipped in sour cream too! Such a fun SuperBowl meal or appetizer idea! 🙂 Thanks for your generous, kind words! 🙂
Emily @ Recipes to Nourish says
Swoon! Oh how I would love to be at your dinner table. This looks absolutely delicious Megan. Such a special recipe.
Megan Stevens says
Thank you, Love!! Wish you could be, what a fun and lovely meal that would be!! 🙂
Cynthia/What A Girl Eats says
I adore Chile Rellenos! This keto version sounds fabulous!
Megan Stevens says
Yay and thanks, Cynthia!
Monique Cormack says
Drooling! I love how simple casseroles are too…just throw them in the oven and they somehow work out perfectly every time. This is such a unique idea and much more exciting than my usual casseroles!
Megan Stevens says
Thanks, Monique! So true, casseroles are the best. As the cook I LOVE getting the kitchen cleaned up once the dish is in the oven, *before dinner. 🙂
linda spiker says
I am a sucker for melty cheese…drool!
Megan Stevens says
Hehe, me too! 😉
MotherBuck says
How can it be keto with much onion? Do you have the carb
info?
Megan Stevens says
I have a note there, to add as much or as little onion as meets your personal dietary goals. For folks on GAPS the onions are fine. You can entirely omit them for strict Keto, and the casserole is still great; they’re not needed. Thanks for the great question!
Benita Chantelle says
Easy Prep Ahead Meal Plans @ 20 Dishes
Keto diet + Mexico Food…it cant get any better than that. I will be making this soon.
Megan Stevens says
So glad to hear it!
Mira Fioramore says
Omg! I eat keto so this is amazing! There’s barely any Mexican food in Japan so will definitely try this recipe!
Megan Stevens says
I’m so glad; enjoy!! 🙂
Katie Stanley says
I love the idea of making it into a casserole! It makes it possible eat special meals like this more often!
Megan Stevens says
Yes, so true; otherwise it’s too time intensive with a busy life! Thank you!
Danielle Esposti says
Such a great casserole idea! I love mexican food, definitely tucking this guy away to try!
Megan Stevens says
Wonderful!
Christina Nesbitt Shoemaker says
Oh holy moly THIS IS THE STUFF OF MY DREAMS. Looks amazing!!
Megan Stevens says
Ha, YAY!! Me too, especially with sour cream on top! 😉 Thank you!
Leslie-Anne says
Wow this looks incredible! You’ve got me thinking about poblanos over a fire and I’m drooling. What a lovely food upbringing you’ve got to work from!
Megan Stevens says
Thank you, Leslie-Anne! I do love those food memories! xo
Tatiana Shifruk says
Always like a new twist on traditional foods. Looks delicious too!
Megan Stevens says
Thank you!
Leslie Blake says
Do we brown the ground beef beforehand or mix it in while raw?
Megan Stevens says
Hi Leslie, mix it raw! One less step. 🙂
Lori Fishcloud says
what is the purpose of the psylium husk powder? can it be omitted?
Megan Stevens says
Hi Lori, you can use the *coconut flour option* instead, if you prefer. See the recipe; it gives it as an alternative. 🙂 The powder or flour binds the casserole together and helps it to be light, because it gives it rise when it bakes. Don’t omit it entirely. 🙂
David says
What is the nutritional values for a single serving of this?
Megan says
Hi David, the Nutrition Facts are now published. 🙂 Find them under the recipe.
Jennifer says
Hi, do you think this would freeze well?
Megan says
Hi Jennifer, I think the casserole will freeze well, but I haven’t done it yet. Especially if you freeze it before baking, I think that will work fine. (Defrost overnight in fridge, then bake according to instructions.) After baking, again defrost overnight in the fridge and then on the counter for the last 4 hours, and then reheat in a low temp oven, like 300 degrees, covered until hot through to the center.
Shelley Broleen says
Can you sub almond flour for the coconut flour? If so, same measurements?
Megan says
Hi Shelley, yes, you can sub in almond flour. But I would go with the 2/3 cup measurement designated for the Paleo cassava flour option. (Coconut flour uses less because it functions differently in the recipe, not a 1:1 conversion to almond flour.)
Melissa says
You said that you don’t freeze egg based casseroles but I don’t see any eggs in the list of ingredients. Did I miss something? Thanks!
Megan says
Hi Melissa, thanks for catching that! I updated my answer! 😉 I do think the casserole will freeze well. The casserole can be frozen either fully cooked and cooled or raw ready to bake. Wrap the casserole tightly to prevent freezer burn or contamination from raw meat. Whichever method you use, be sure to defrost the casserole thoroughly in the refrigerator before baking or reheating. A final 4 hours of defrosting on the counter at room temperature is safe according to food handling laws and may help the casserole to defrost through to the center more quickly.
Jessica says
This may be a dumb question, but do you brown the ground beef before assembling the casserole?
Megan says
Not a dumb question at all. 🙂 Nope, the meat is raw going into the casserole which is partially why it turns out so light in texture when it bakes. And it’s one less step, which is part of why the casserole is so fast to assemble.
Liz says
I’m wondering if I can use fresh green chilies in place of canned? Or maybe frozen? I don’t have a lot of shopping options nearby and often the canned goods available have lots of icky ingredients that I try to avoid. So if I used fresh or frozen green chilies, would that affect the cooking time? Shall I parcook them in advance?