Chile Relleno Skillet Scramble
Green chiles, eggs, and cheddar cooked down in one pan. The casserole without the oven.
- calories
- 420
- weight
- 3.5 oz
- cal / oz
- 120
- protein
- 22 g
- serves
- 4, scales
- prep
- 10 min
- cook
- 12 min
- total time
- 22 min
- water
- 350 ml boiled
- cost
- $$
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Breakfast
- Dinner
- Canister stove
- Liquid fuel
- Campfire coals
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Canoe / raft
- Vegetarian
- Gluten free
- Nut free
- One pot
- Grab and go
- Shelf stable
- Basic
Ingredients
| Freeze-dried green chiles or jalapenos | 1 cup dry | bell peppers work if you want it mild |
|---|---|---|
| Freeze-dried shredded cheddar | 2 cups dry | pepper jack is the same weight |
| Powdered whole egg | 6 tbsp | equals 3 eggs |
| Powdered heavy cream or full-fat milk powder | 1/4 cup | |
| Salt | 1/2 tsp | |
| Oil or ghee | 1 tbsp | for the pan |
Method
- Put the chiles and 1 1/2 cups of the cheese in a pot or mug with about 200 ml of hot water. Cover and wait five minutes, then drain off anything that did not soak in.
- Whisk the egg powder, cream powder, and salt into 150 ml of warm water until there are no dry lumps. Lumps now become rubber later.
- Heat the oil in the skillet over a low flame. Add the rehydrated chiles and cheese and stir once.
- Pour the egg mixture over and let it sit thirty seconds before you touch it. Then drag a spoon through it slowly, edge to center, until it is just set.
- Kill the heat, scatter the last 1/2 cup of cheese powder over the top, and put a lid on for two minutes so it melts down.
This started life as a baked casserole with fresh eggs, canned chiles, and heavy cream. None of that travels. Freeze-dried chiles and cheese carry the same flavor at a fraction of the weight, powdered egg and cream powder replace the fridge, and a covered skillet does what forty minutes at 350 was doing.
The order matters more than the technique. Rehydrate the chiles and cheese first and drain them, because any water still hanging in them will thin the eggs and you will end up with curds in a puddle. Low heat and a slow spoon keep the eggs soft; a hot pan sets them into something you could patch a boot with.
Packing
Chiles, cheese, and the egg-and-cream powder each ride in their own bag. Keep the finishing half cup of cheese separate or you will dump it all in at step one. Oil goes in a leakproof bottle.
Variations
- Freeze-dried ground beef or chicken, rehydrated alongside the chiles, turns it into a real dinner.
- A tortilla under it makes it a breakfast burrito. That drops the gluten-free claim.
- Hot sauce at the table. It needs acid more than it needs heat.
https://thesurvivalmom.com/freeze-dried-food-mexican-recipes