My “real” recipe for chile rellenos calls for deep frying the rellenos. They are wonderful, but I rarely make them because of the fat calories the frying adds to the dish (not to mention the time-consuming and messy process of deep frying the egg-battered stuffed chiles).

Instead, I make this cheater’s version a lot. This recipe is from my own index card collection and probably entered my repertoire in the 1970s.

Cheater’s Chiles Rellenos
serves 4

• 6 eggs, separated
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 4-oz. can green chilies, diced
• 1/2 lb. Jack cheese, sliced thin or grated
• salsa or a spicy diced tomato sauce like rotel
• optional: sour cream

Beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Beat egg yolks lightly, add flour and salt and mix until smooth. Fold in whites until well blended. Turn half the mixture into a greased 12x8x2-inch baking dish. Cover with chiles and cheese. Top with remaining egg mixture.

Bake at 325˚ about 25 minutes. Top with salsa and sour cream.

Half a recipe: I made a half recipe and baked it in a 4 1/2 x 6 1/2 x 1 1/2-inch small Le Creuset baking dish. I baked it at 350˚ about 25 minutes. It puffed up over the top of the baking dish and turned out pretty and perfect.