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Wednesday, March 25, 2026 at 2:58 PM

What’s Cooking in Kelli’s Kitchen - Cheesy Green Chile Bean Bake

What’s Cooking in Kelli’s Kitchen - Cheesy Green Chile Bean Bake
Image by Kerri Brewer for The New York Times.

I can’t remember a January when I was quite so busy. On the day-to-day, I work with new small business owners and entrepreneurs to launch and grow their businesses through the Churchill Entrepreneur Development Association and the Nevada Small Business Development Center. Almost every day, I hear from another new person looking to start a business in Churchill County, which is fantastic. At the same time, my calendar is a mess, and sometimes it is suddenly five o’clock when I was sure that just five minutes ago, it was two. That is 100% the situation as I sit here typing this article.

When we are super busy, it can be overwhelming trying to come up with something to make for dinner and rally the energy and enthusiasm to actually make it. The flip side is that a healthy home-cooked dinner gives us the nourishment that we need to sustain ourselves through these times. A helpful tactic is to have some quick and simple recipes in our back pockets to pull out when we might otherwise choose to order out and drive through a take-out line.
Here’s what I am making for dinner tonight:

Cheesy Green Chile Bean Bake
By Ali Slagle

INGREDIENTS:
1 T vegetable oil
2 poblano chiles, seeds and stems removed & coarsely chopped
Salt and pepper
2 (15-ounce) cans of pinto beans, rinsed
1 package of Mexican chorizo
1 (16-ounce) jar salsa verde, or 1 2/4 c homemade salsa verde
¼ c packed cilantro leaves, stems reserved and finely chopped
1 ½ c grated Monterrey Jack cheese
Lime wedges for serving

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Arrange an oven rack in the upper third of the oven and heat the broiler to high.
  2. In a large, ovenproof skillet, heat oil to medium-high. Add the poblanos and cook without stirring until they are browned underneath (3 minutes).
  3. Season with salt and pepper, and continue cooking, stirring occasionally for another 2-3 minutes.
  4. Stir in the beans, Mexican chorizo, salsa verde, and cilantro stems. Simmer until the chorizo is cooked through and the sauce is thickened slightly.
  5. Turn off heat, sprinkle the cheese over the top, and broil until melted and browned in spots, 2-3 minutes. Serve right away, topped with cilantro leaves and a squeeze of lime.
     

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Comments

K
Kathy 01/18/2025 04:33 PM
Mmmmm!! So good. We used veggie chorizo. This was fast and delicious, thanks so much for sharing!

April 01/05/2025 02:44 PM
Easy and flavorful meal with lots of leftovers for several nights. Also a good use of salsa verde and poblanos that I had canned from my garden. I did use grilled chicken breast because I had leftovers, but I'm eager to try this with chorizo.

K
KK 01/09/2025 09:49 AM
Thanks for trying out the recipe and commenting!

Cheryl 12/29/2024 08:06 PM
Delicious. I used tofu and vegan beef crumbles and made it veg. Everyone loved it! The poblanos were very spicy. I thought they were a milder pepper! We love spicy, so no problemo.

Sheila Butler 01/07/2025 02:24 PM
I’m new to cooking with tofu for my husband. How did you prep the tofu? Fried or just cubed and added? Firm/ super firm tofu?

Kelli 02/15/2025 12:34 PM
I'd use firm. Press it for a bit (drain and put a plate on top) to squeeze out some of the moisture. Then crumble it up and add instead of the chorizo.

K
KK 01/09/2025 09:50 AM
Thanks for reading and commenting about your experience!

COMMENTS
Comment author: Nicole GalbraithComment text: Farren - I just saw that you aren’t here with us. I am completely in shock! I met you and hung out with you so many years ago with Jer, and Eden. I honestly can’t believe you are gone…..you were a wonderful human being, with a HUGE heart and soul. Hearing this makes my heart break! You are forever in our hearts, and I can say I feel blessed that I was able to know you! Rest easy sweet Farren xoxoComment publication date: 3/23/26, 12:30 PMComment source: Obituary- Farren CrosslandComment author: Tiffany LundleeComment text: I will miss you so very much Bryan. It was always fun visiting you guys. And always talking about what Jon and Aaron use to do as goofy teenagers I will miss you very muchComment publication date: 3/21/26, 12:12 PMComment source: Bryan Taylor Anderson C Comment author: Carl C. HagenComment text: A wonderful tribute. Thank you Kelli Kelly.Comment publication date: 3/21/26, 8:12 AMComment source: In memorium -- The Melon ManComment author: Bob SondgrothComment text: There are times when you should just know about someone. Who and what they REALLY were. Because they were devotional and IMPORTANT to the humans they connected with. The content of their life bled so that others could feel their own life’s importance. Teachers of justifiable life and art. That all can absorb and use as the best fertilizer for THEIR lives. Giving the silent secrets and the loud guidance. The Melon Man was a perfect specimen for how to devote. His passing meant a life book of feeling/knowing what gives other humans their paths to Love and Knowledge. Some humans are meant to show others their paths. And in that they secrete ways to profitably exist.Comment publication date: 3/18/26, 4:50 PMComment source: In memorium -- The Melon Man
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