There aren’t a ton of recipes that I can call “family recipes” in the sense that they’ve been passed down from generation to generation. This, however, is one of those recipes. My Grandma Lou did this every time she hosted our family at my grandparents’ home in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She and my grandfather actually lived in a kind of “village” in Albuquerque called Corrales. Hence the name: Corrales Casserole.
Preparation:
To cook:
Level: Easy
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons Butter without salt
- 1 White onion, chopped
- 2 cans (8 oz size) Diced green chiles, a mix of hot and sweet
- 6 cups cooked white rice
- 16 ounces, weight cottage cheese
- 16 ounces, weight Fresh cream
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoons Freshly ground black pepper
- 4 Green onions, chopped, divided
- 1-½ cup Shredded Colby-jack cheese, divided
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add white onion and sauté until onions are tender, about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the green chiles (including the juice) to the skillet. Stir and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
In a large bowl, break up the cooked rice with your hands so that there are no large lumps. Add onions and chiles, cottage cheese, sour cream, salt, freshly ground black pepper, 3/4 of the green onions and 1 cup Colby Jack cheese. Stir to combine (use your hands if you need to).
Spray a large baking dish with cooking spray. Pour in rice mixture, smooth top and top with remaining cheese. (See note below.)
Bake, uncovered, at 375ºF for 30 minutes. Garnish with the remaining green onions.
Remarks:
1. Rice can be cooked and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days before making the casserole.
2. Make Ahead: At this point, you can cover the pan and store it in the fridge (up to 1 day ahead) until you’re ready to cook it. Take it out of the fridge about 20 minutes before cooking and bake it as directed above.
