From the roundup: 24 Fall Casserole Recipes for Cozy Comfort Dinners

Two poblanos sitting on the counter for four days and a bag of long-grain rice I kept moving aside every time I reached for something else are what finally pushed me toward this beef and roasted poblano rice casserole. Broiling the poblanos first is the step worth protecting, because the charred skins slip right off and leave behind a smoky depth that canned green chiles just cannot replicate. The active work runs about 20 minutes: browning the beef, pulling together a quick cream cheese sauce, and stirring up the cornbread topping, which sets faster in the oven than I expected the first time and comes out with a slightly crisp edge the kids actually fight over. One pan feeds all seven of us, and I still get two lunch containers out of whatever is left in the corner of the dish.

How this one actually got started

My oldest asked for something with cornbread on top after we had a tamale pie at a neighbor’s house. I did not have the right ingredients for tamale pie, but I had ground beef, poblanos from the farmers market, and a box of corn muffin mix. I threw this together mostly guessing at amounts, and it worked well enough that I wrote everything down before I forgot it.

The one thing I learned the hard way: if you skip covering the poblanos while they steam, the skins are almost impossible to peel cleanly. I spent an extra ten minutes picking off little charred bits that first time. Cover them with a bowl or a piece of foil for five minutes after broiling and it is a completely different experience.

Why you will love this

The broiler does the roasting work in about 10 minutes, no open flame or special equipment needed.
One pan covers protein, starch, and vegetables so there is nothing else to make on the side.
The cream cheese sauce keeps the rice from drying out during baking, which is a real problem with casseroles.
The cornbread topping bakes right on top of the filling, no separate baking dish or rolling.
Leftovers reheat well the next day without getting soggy or separating.

Tips for success

Steam the broiled poblanos covered for at least 5 minutes before peeling. The skins come off in clean strips instead of tiny stuck pieces.
Soften the cream cheese before adding it to the pan. Cold cream cheese clumps and takes much longer to melt into a smooth sauce.
Stir the corn muffin topping until it just comes together. Overmixing makes it dense and rubbery instead of tender.
Drain the ground beef well after browning. Extra grease in the filling makes the cornbread topping greasy on the underside where it meets the filling.

If your topping looks underdone

The topping should be golden and set in the center, not shiny. If the edges are browning but the middle still looks wet, tent foil loosely over the dish and give it 5 more minutes.
Overfilling the baking dish can slow down the topping. Make sure the filling layer is not so deep that the cornbread is sitting in liquid.
Let the casserole rest for 5 minutes after it comes out of the oven. The topping firms up noticeably as it cools slightly and cuts much cleaner.

Substitutions

Ground turkey works well here and keeps the texture close to the original. Plant-based crumbles also work, though they release less fat so the filling can be a little drier. Cooked quinoa can replace the rice if that is what you have. For the poblanos, canned diced green chiles are a fair swap when you are short on time, just know the flavor will be milder and less smoky.

For the cheese, Pepper Jack in place of regular Monterey Jack adds noticeable heat, which two of my kids love and two of them strongly object to. Splitting the dish into a smaller hot pan and a milder pan is an option if you have that situation at your table too.

Make-ahead and storage

You can roast and peel the poblanos a day ahead and keep them in a covered container in the fridge. The beef filling can also be made the night before and refrigerated. When you are ready to bake, bring the filling close to room temperature, add the cornbread topping, and bake as directed so the topping cooks evenly.

Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat covered at 350 degrees until heated through, about 15 to 20 minutes depending on portion size. This casserole does freeze, though the cornbread topping gets a little softer after thawing. If you plan to freeze it, wrap tightly and use within 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating covered in the oven.

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