Green Bean and Poblano Cream Casserole

Hi all!! Merry Christmas!!! I hope everyone has had as great a holiday as I have!
I am super excited because I got awesome baking supplies and spices and stuff for BAKING GALORE!!! So excited!!

Also Happy New Year's Eve!! *<I:0)

However, I wanted to share this non-pastry yet baking recipe with you all. A previous co-worker of mine found this recipe in the Arts&Life section of the DMN (Dallas Morning News) listed as 'recipes for a Mexican -influenced Thanksgiving' BAH :p I decided to make it just to see what was up with the whole poblano cream sauce that was the 'mexican-ness' of the dish....and boy was I surprised it was delish!!!

Aside from the fact that whoever wrote the recipe or was in charge of this section did not do a good job of thoroughly explaining 1)all ingredients needed and 2) the directions, but I'm pretty smart and was able to figure it out and even tweak the recipe to my liking bahahaha :D. I made this dish for my work Christmas party two weeks ago and everybody LOOOVED it might even make it again for New Years!

*I know what you might be thinking 'won't it be spicy?' Let me answer that for you that's what I thought because of the tingly feeling I got while dicing the poblano peppers but no, not at all spicy!

Green Bean and Poblano Cream Casserole

Ingredients:
2 1/2 tablespoons butter + more for baking dish
1/2 cup diced onions
Fresh green beans
2 cups crumbled queso fresco (I used the brand 'Cacique')
1 package of Philadelphia cream cheese (I added this ingredient to the recipe)

Ingredients for Poblano Cream:
3/4 cup diced onion
canola oil
1 1/2 poblano peppers (seeded and diced)
2 minced garlic cloves
1 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup+ 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Directions

Poblano Cream Sauce

In a sauce pan add a tablespoon or so of canola oil. Add your seeded and diced poblano peppers, onion and garlic. Cook over medium heat until onion is translucent and garlic and peppers are tender. Don't let them get brown. Add chicken stock and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Add heavy cream, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Now put in a blender and puree well!

Now after you've pureed your poblano peppers, which by the way it's going to look a very pleasant green substance hahaha YUM but bare with me it will be amazing :)

Wash and cut green beans (i like to cut off all the tips for freshness). Pre-heat oven to 350F. Butter a baking dish and have ready. In a large skillet melt butter and saute the onions for this half of the recipe. In a different pan you want to boil some water enough for all the green beans. My trick is to have the water boil and then add the green beans that way they stay green :)

This is what it looks like after it's been baked!

Queso Fresco is my favorite

So once your green beans are tender drain all the water from that pan. Arrange green beans into the baking dish and then pour the poblano mixture over it.
Bake for 15 minutes and let cool add the cream cheese just spread it over the green beans pop back into the oven for another 10 minutes. Once you take it out of the oven then cover the entire dish with queso fresco!!


Well guys I have really enjoyed baking this year and hope to bake more in the coming new year! Take care y'all and Happy New Year's!