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 Molletes is a classic Mexican favorite somewhat like a grilled cheese sandwich, but open face with a layer of refried beans. Definitely comfort food! Happy Cinco de Mayo weekend! Looks absolutely gorgeous! I have the perfect classic Mexican comfort food here – and it’s super easy to prepare. Molletes is essentially an open faced grilled cheese sandwich made with a layer of refried beans. I’ve created my own spin on it which is really, really good!
The typical molletes does not have green chile and pico de gallo is served on the side. I much prefer my version here. Note: there are actually two different Mexican foods called “molletes” – this one and a sweet roll, very different from this. You can find the sweet roll version in Mexican and Cuban bakeries around town.
This is definitely a quick comfort food – I’ll be making this again & again – hope you like it!
Molletes - 2 torta rolls*
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 cup refried beans
- ¼ cup medium hot diced green chiles (I used 505)
- 1 1lb Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- 1 cup pico de gallo*
- Cut torta rolls in half. Spread with butter and lightly toast in toaster oven or broiler for about 2 minutes. Set aside.
- Blend refried beans and green chile and set aside.
- Take each half torta roll and spread ¼ of bean/chile mixture evenly. Top with ¼ shredded cheese (about ½ cup) and top with about ¼ cup pico de gallo.
- Toast in toaster oven or oven broiler for a couple minutes, until cheese melts.
- Serve & enjoy!
* I like the torta rolls from Costco made by La Brea bakery. Also ciabatta rolls from Safeway or King Soopers are perfect for this
* You can just dice tomatoes, green onions and mix in more diced green chiles for a quick homemade pico de gallo, easy! 3.5.3208
 Santa Fe Chicken Crepe is simple, elegant and yummy – adapted from a dish served at Sweet Pea Cafe in Los Gatos, CA. This is a very simple, scrumptious and elegant dish. It’s adapted from a favorite served at Sweet Pea’s Cafe and Catering in Los Gatos, California (no, we did not get their recipe … but it’s a simple dish). Very basic ingredients – cheese, chicken and chile in a delicate crepe. Perfect for brunch. It doesn’t need any fancy sauces – just some pico de gallo and sour cream on the side.
Note in the photo, the chile is whole (peeled and seeded), but you might want to cut it in strips and distribute the chiles more evenly. I rather like the touch of having big bites of chile in parts of the crepe and not others – gives it an element of surprise.
The crepe recipe makes 8 small crepes or 4+ large. Be sure to use a nonstick, large skillet and coat well with oil so they crepes don’t stick.
Santa Fe Chicken Crepe - 4 boneless grilled chicken breasts
- 3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 4 large roasted, peeled & seeded mild green chiles
- (fresh preferred but canned works)
- 4 crepes: allrecipes.com/recipe/27188/crepes/
- 2 cups pico de gallo
- 1 cup sour cream
- Slice chicken breasts about ¼" thick & set aside.
- Prepare the crepes per recipe at allrecipes.com/recipe/27188/crepes/ . Use a large non-stick skillet well coated with oil. You are making 4 large crepes instead of 8 small ones. Place each crepe on a plate.
- Sprinkle ¾ cup shredded cheese on ½ of the crepe. Lay chicken slices over the cheese and then top with a whole green chile.
- Fold the crepe over to make a half circle. You might want to fold it again to make a quarter circle, or feel free to fold it as you wish. You could fold it over like a burrito. Whatever suits the plates you are using.
- Serve each crepe with ¼ cup pico de gallo and ¼ cup sour cream. Serve remaining cup of pico de gallo in a bowl, so people can help themselves to more if they wish.
- Enjoy!
* For crepes, use a large (at least 12", 14" is even better) non-stick skillet. Be sure it is well oiled. 3.5.3208
 Chile Kotlets are a spicy version of a Russian favorite, basically, meatloaf fried up in patties and topped with mayonnaise. Add chiles and you get a Southwestern version. Original recipe from Boris is at https://youtu.be/uVUagOO_53g A few months ago, my son Nick emailed me a YouTube video and asked, “Would you make this for me?” Hey, this was Boris making traditional Russian kotlet, which he says means “True love in food form.” I’m game! I finally made it for him. And, of course, as soon as I eyeballed the recipe, I knew it would also be great with green chiles. Make it either with or without green chiles – it’s a feast for the tastebuds either way. Here’s the original video from Boris
Warning: health food this ain’t. It’s made with lots of butter and oil in the mix and the meat patties are coated with flour and fried in lots more butter and oil. Then you slather the result with lots of mayonnaise. Count up those points for your Weight Watchers. Of course, everything else I make is low-cal, right?
Chile Kotlets - ¾ cup chopped onion
- 3 slices bread
- 1¼ cup milk
- ½ lb ground beef
- ½ lb ground pork
- 2 eggs
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- ½ cup diced green chiles
- oil (I used olive oil)
- flour
- butter
- mayonnaise
- dill, parsley, tomato for garnish if desired
- Pour 1-2 tbsp oil into skillet, add 1 tbsp butter and the onions. Sautee until soft & translucent. Set aside.
- Tear or cut bread into big pieces, place in a bowl, pour on milk, and set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix beef, pork, eggs, salt and pepper.
- Make sure bread is soaked with milk, grab the bread, squeeze out excess milk and dump bread in the bowl of meat. Blend in green chiles. Throw out milk or drink it if you're into that.
- Shape the meat into patties ½ to 1 inch thick. It should make about 6.
- Sprinkle about ¼ cup flour on a cutting board and coat each patty with flour.
- In a very large skillet, pour about 2 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp butter in. Over medium heat, fry meat patty up on both sides until cooked to desired doneness. It helps to have a lid on the skillet most of the time.
- Serve 1 per plate, spread 1-2 tbsp mayonnaise on top and sprinkle with dill or parsely. Garnish with anything else you'd like such as onion or diced tomato.
- Enjoy! Remember - it's true love in food form!
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 Green Chile Spinach Artichoke Dip is amazingly simple, yet super scrumptious. Just blend chiles into a premade already very good dip … and you get something very special. Perfect for parties. Ok, Folks. Ready for something brain-dead simple that’s really good? This is it … you just buy premade Spinach Artichoke Dip and blend it with green chiles. Awesome!
Here’s my philosophy on this: I’ve had both the Costco and Sam’s Club versions of Spinach Artichoke Dip. Both are very good – good enough that I’ll just go buy them rather than make it from scratch. And green chiles are a natural in this dip. So … buy the dip and blend in green chiles – perfect!
I used 505 Southwestern Roasted Green Chile. It’s a medium hot that’s really good in this. Often I keep a jar in the fridge and add it to eggs, soups, or dips. I used 1 1/2 cups, which made it just a little spicy with a mild green chile taste. You might want to use 2 cups and get some real heat into this dip.
This is ideal for a quick, great dip for a party. It’s now part of my regular repertoire. Hope you like it!
Green Chile Spinach Artichoke Dip - 1 32-oz tub of Spinach Artichoke Dip (eg, Costco or Sam's Club)
- 12 oz medium hot diced green chiles (505 suggested)
- Dump ingredients into a food processor or blender and blend to desired consistency.
- Add more chiles to desired heat level if you wish.
- Serve with tortilla chips, crackers, or baguette slices.
- Enjoy!
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 Power Veggie Tabbouli is a lighter version of tabbouli made with quinoa and packed with nutrition-dense, low-carb veggies. Power Veggie Quinoa Tabouli is packed with flavor and nutrients … and I think it’s extra special with green chiles in it. That chile flavor and heat is great with this combination. I love tabbouli, and this recipe loaded with parsley, broccoli, cucumber, and bell pepper is great with or without green chiles; I’ve been focussing on lowering carbs and getting more veggies in my diet. It turns out parsley is packed with nutrients and is a major ingredient in tabbouli. I’ve always loved parsley – when I was growing up, we had a big patch of parsley growing right outside the kitchen door. I’d grab a bunch and throw it in soups, eggs, or (my favorite) parsley potatoes.
I reworked my favorite tabbouli recipe here to up the vegetables while keeping the quinoa (I’m using quinoa instead of bulgur – no gluten here) the same. This is a great combination. It is definitely light as there is about twice as much vegetable in relation to the quinoa. If it’s too light for you, you can always cut the vegetables in half, but personally, I really like it this way. Try some variations. You might come up with some interesting versions.
Hope you like this!
Power Veggie Quinoa Tabouli - 1 cup quinoa
- 2 cups boiling water
- ¾ tsp salt
- ⅓ cup lemon or lime juice
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cups chopped parsley
- 2 tomatoes, diced (about 1½ cups)
- 4 green onions, chopped
- 1 cup broccoli rice (from Trader Joe's)
- 1 cup diced cucumber
- 1 cup diced red or orange bell pepper
- optional: ¼ to ½ cup diced mild green chiles
- Garnish with ¼ cup sunflower seeds
- 1 avocado, diced
- In a saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add quinoa, cover and simmer on low heat until water is absorbed 10-15 minutes. Cool.
- Add remaining ingredients, stir well, and chill. Garnish with sunflower seeds as desired and serve.
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 Chorizo Tomato Tomatillo Sauce is a robust roasted sauce or salsa ideal for serving as a dip with chips or as a sauce over meat, eggs, or burritos. It can be frozen or canned for storing. One of my favorite recipes ever is my Chorizo Tomatillo Sauce, just really special. This recipe is a variation, but has a distinctly different flavor, and is just as good. Basically, this is a roasted vegetable sauce or salsa with chorizo, which adds a robust meaty flavor and texture. I would use it as a dip for chips or vegetables or as a sauce over meat, eggs or burritos.
Like all roasted sauces or salsas, you can freeze it or can it. Otherwise, it will keep in the fridge for about 2 weeks. New Mexico State University provides an excellent guide for canning green chiles that you can follow for canning this sauce.
There are different ways to vary this sauce, and all the variations are also good. In the photo, this sauce is just barely blended to a sauce consistency. I’ve also blended it to a finer consistency and then even more to where it is more of a uniform paste instead of being chunky. They all taste really good. I’ve also added additional chorizo, and that’s also good if you like it really meaty.
I hope you like this – it’s definitely one of my keepers that I’ll make over and over.
Chorizo Tomato Tomatillo Sauce - 1 lb tomatillos
- 1 lb tomatoes
- 1 small jalapeno
- 1 cup fresh parsley
- 2 large cloves garlic
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tbsp chicken bouillon
- ½ lb chorizo (King Soopers or our recipe)
- ¼ cup diced medium hot or hot green chiles
- Brown the chorizo in a large skillet, breaking it up while cooking to get chorizo crumbles. Set aside.
- Remove the tomatillo husks and rinse well with water.
- Cut tomatillos and the jalapeno into quarters and remove seed and veins from the jalapeno. Cut the tomatoes into chunks.
- In a large dry skillet over medium heat, cook the tomatoes, jalapeno, tomatillos, and garlic cloves until tomatillos and garlic have black scorch spots and are getting soft. Jalapeno should also have scorch spots and tomatoes might. The scorch spots add a smokey taste. You'll also end up with some scorched residue on the bottom of the skillet; just scrape it off and include it in the sauce.
- If desired, set aside about ¼ cup of the chorizo crumbles for garnish.
- Dump all the ingredients including the rest of the chorizo into a blender and blend to desired consistency. You can pulse it till just blended for chunky sauce, blend thoroughly to a fairly uniform paste, or anywhere in between. Add water as needed to get desired consistency (usually ¼ to ½ cup).
- Serve hot or cold over eggs, chicken, burritos, enchiladas, nachos, whatever - or as a dip with chips or veggies.
- Enjoy!
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Have you tried many of the brands of chorizo in the supermarket? I have. Some of the cheaper brands are downright nasty. If you are buying chorizo and don’t know which kind to get, I suggest asking the butchers in the meat department. Describe what you are using it for, and you’ll probably get a good recommendation. I usually use the King Soopers brand, which is very good.
Chorizo is usually very fatty or oily. I reduced the oil in this recipe and actually cooked some of it up with no oil at all in it. With no oil, it does come out a little dry but tastes really good. Since I’m usually using chorizo inside a burrito or in a sauce, it often makes no difference.
Some chorizo has a texture sort of like mush, ground as fine as possible. I like it chunky, in small chunks. You can see what I mean from the photo. Just don’t overdo the grinding or food processing! This chorizo also has a hint of Indian influence that comes from the ground cloves. I really like this flavor, but if you want a more traditional taste, leave the cloves out.
I usually buy pork loin at Costco. What I’m planning to do with this recipe, is make several more pounds, separate them into half pound chubs, wrap them in plastic and freeze them. That way, I have homemade chorizo whenever I want. Some will have green chile in them and some will be regular chorizo. You can always make it without the green chile and stir in the green chile before cooking.
Hope you like this!
Homemade Green Chile Chorizo - 1 lb pork loin, fat trimmed off, cut into ½ inch cubes
- 3 cloves garlic, pressed
- 2½ tbsp mild New Mexico chile powder
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp dried leaf oregano
- ½ tsp dried marjoram
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ cup hot diced green chile
- 2 tbsp cider vinegar
- 1½ tbsp rice vinegar
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Put the pork on a plate and freeze for 30-60 minutes or until about halfway frozen.
- Put all the spices in a cup and stir to blend.
- Put the pork in a food processor, add pressed garlic, chiles and spice mix, then pulse till you get the desired consistency.
- Pour on the olive oil and pulse a couple more times to blend.
- Fry up in a skillet with a bit more olive oil, breaking it up into small chunks as it cooks.
- Serve with eggs, in burritos, in green chili, whatever - enjoy!
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 Mushroom Quesadilla is a scrumptious appetizer or main dish with just the right amount of green chile heat. Make a batch of the filling and quickly assemble the quesadillas for an awesome treat. This turned out to be an amazing dinner last night. Really gourmet! I happened to hit just the right balance of flavors on this one. This is something I would definitely serve at a party … or it could be dinner. Once you make the filling you can just assemble little quesadillas using small tortillas or big ones that you cut into wedges with a pizza cutter.
I used 505 Southwestern green chile, which comes in a jar in Costco and most grocery stores. If using fresh frozen chiles, I’d suggest a Hatch Hot, Sandia, or Mosco chile.
Hope you enjoy this one!
Mushroom Quesadilla - 4 8-inch tortillas
- 1 lb mushrooms, sliced ¼ to ½ inch
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- ⅓ cup minced onion
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- ⅓ cup 505 diced green chile (a hot, flavorful chile)
- 1 tsp dried leaf oregano
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1½ cup shredded cheese
- optional: shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, avocado for garnish
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Put the mushrooms in a plastic bag, pour in 2 tbsp of olive oil, and use your hands to move the mushrooms around so they get coated with olive oil. Or put them in a bowl and stir to coat.
- Spread the mushrooms on a baking dish and roast for 15 minutes.
- Remove the mushrooms, set the dish at an angle, and push the mushrooms toward the high end to separate the liquid from the mushrooms.
- In a large skillet, heat the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil to medium high heat. Saute the onions until soft, then add the garlic and cook another minute.
- Add the mushrooms, green chile, oregano, and parsley and saute until mushrooms start to brown.
- Add the mushroom liquid and cook another minute or two until liquid has evaporated.
- Assemble the first quesadilla on a skillet or quesadilla maker: Spread a thin layer of sour cream on a tortilla, sprinkle with shredded cheese, then top with a layer of the mushroom mixture and another layer of cheese.
- Take the second tortilla, spread with a thin layer of sour cream and place it sour cream side down on top.
- Cook for several minutes or until tortilla is starting to brown. (If using a skillet, lift it up with a spatula to peek at the underside. With a quesadilla maker, just lift the lid to peek.). If using a skillet, you'll need to flip it and brown the other side. With the quesadilla maker, both sides cook at once.
- Cut into wedges with a pizza cutter or knife and serve with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, and avocado if desired.
- Enjoy!
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 Darren’s Champion Green Chili won first place at the 2016 Denver Chili Fest. A simple recipe, it is bursting with flavor, colorful and is a no-fail recipe that can be used as a basis for many variations. This chile verde won first place at the 2017 Denver Chili Fest. It is an easy recipe that can be used as a base for whatever variations you want. With colorful bell peppers (red, yellow, and orange), this is a particularly festive as well as flavorful chili.
In the photo, you can see this chili is very thick. You may want to add water to get the consistency you want. I made this with 2 lbs of Pueblo Hot chiles instead of 1 lb Pueblo Hot and 1 lb Hatch Hot. In the finished dish, I doubt that most people will be able to tell the difference. I also found I wanted to add more Kickin’ Chicken, so I probably put in more like 1 tsp rather than 1/2 tsp.
This is a recipe I’m likely to make over and over. And like most green chili recipes, it freezes very well.
Hope you enjoy this!
Darren's Champion Green Chili - 2 lbs pork, cubed
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp garlic salt
- ½ tsp Weber Kickin' Chicken Seasoning
- ¼ cup flour
- ¼ cup water
- 1 lb roasted, peeled, & diced Pueblo Hot green chiles
- 1 lb roasted, peeled & diced Hatch Hot green chiles
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
- 1 orange bell pepper, diced
- 1 cube chicken bouillon
- 1-2 cups water
- In a large pot, brown pork in vegetable oil.
- Add garlic salt and Weber Kickin' Chicken Seasoning.
- Add flour, mix well and cook another couple minutes, then mix in ¼ cup water.
- Add all remaining ingredients, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Add more water as needed to get desired consistency.
- Add additional garlic salt and Kickin' Chicken seasoning to taste if you wish.
- Serve & enjoy!
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 Chile Mac & Cheese Bites – scrumptious little bites of mac and cheese with the Southwestern flair of diced green chiles. Perfect for party appetizers. These are great little appetizers perfect for that game day party – and very simple to make. They are basically a bite-sized form of a great chile mac and cheese recipe from reader Becky Buchanan that I published in 2008. Just pop them in your mouth and you’ll find they disappear in no time.
After making it in a pot on the stove you basically put shredded cheese in mini-muffin pans, scoop a spoonful of mac and cheese into each muffin cup, and top it with more shredded cheese and bake it. You can serve it either warm or cold. The extra cheese is important – without it these little babies fall apart. This is super simple to make – you just start with a box of mac and cheese, make as directed, and add mustard, chiles, and more cheese.
Chile Mac and Cheese Bites - 1 box macaroni & cheese
- butter & milk (per instructions on box)
- ½ cup diced green chiles
- 1 cup shredded cheese, divided in half
- 1 heaping tablespoon Grey Poupon Dijon mustard
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray non-stick mini muffin pan with cooking spray.
- Prepare macaroni & cheese per directions on the box.
- Add the green chiles, ½ cup shredded cheese, and mustard.
- Stir until cheese melts.
- Put a pinch of shredded cheese into each muffin cup, then fill each cup with a spoonful of mac and cheese. Top with another layer of shredded cheese.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until brown around the edges.
- Let cool for 5 minutes, then lift each one out using a dull knife and set on a serving plate.
- If you want to serve warm, microwave for no more than a minute and serve. They are also good cold.
- Enjoy!
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