Poblano Chile Casserole with Corn and Cheese

[aggiejac]

6 large fresh poblano chiles
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups fresh corn kernels, or frozen thawed (from about 6 ears or two 10-ounce packages)
1 cup grated manchego or Monterey Jack cheese
4 cups cooked white rice
1 cup crema or sour cream
1 1/3 cups Red Salsa (see recipe below)
1/2 cup grated queso anejo or Parmesan cheese

Char chiles over gas flame or under broiler until blackened on all sides. Enclose in plastic bag and let stand 10 minutes. Peel chiles. Starting at stem end, carefully cut one slit down length of each chile, leaving stems and tops intact if possible. Carefully remove seeds and veins from chiles.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Melt butter in heavy large saute pan over medium heat. Add onion and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute 1 minute longer. Add corn and saute 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cool completely. Stir in manchego or Monterey Jack cheese. Stuff chiles with corn mixture.

Butter 15x10-inch baking dish. Place rice in prepared dish. Nestle stuffed chiles in single layer into rice. Mix crema and Red Salsa in medium bowl; pour over chiles and rice. Sprinkle with anejo cheese.

Bake until chiles are heated through and sauce bubbles, about 25 minutes (about 40 minutes for refrigerated casserole).

Red Salsa
Makes about 2 cups

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 fresh jalapeno chili pepper, stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
2 cups canned plum tomatoes with their juices

In a saucepan over medium heat, warm the vegetable oil. Add the onion and saute until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, chili pepper and salt and cook for 2 minutes longer. Add the tomatoes and their juices and reduce the heat to low. Cook the tomatoes, stirring occasionally to break them up, until soft and the juices have reduced by half, 10-15 minutes.

Let cool slightly, then transfer to a blender. Puree until smooth, then strain through a sieve placed over a bowl. Set aside to cool completely for use as a table salsa. Or reheat gently over low heat to use hot. To store, cover tightly and keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.