Name: Chili Rellano Casserole
Ingredients: 1 7 oz can Ortega chilies; 8 oz Jack cheese, grated; 8 oz Longhorn cheese, grated; Batter:; 2 eggs; 1 1/2 c milk; 1/2 c shortening; 1/2 c flour; 1 tsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp salt

Why it works: Cheese and milk are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 10% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 4,426 recipes. Both carry delta-dodecalactone, which smells sweet, creamy. The science ↓

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

Cheese + milktop 10% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together4,426 recipes

Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
Milk + flourtop 14% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together78,219 recipes

Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Egg + flourtop 15% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together106,462 recipes

Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Egg + milktop 18% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together88,785 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Cheese + eggtop 28% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together6,253 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).

Milk and flour barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 78,219 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Eggs: Set and bind the batter, giving the casserole its firm structure as they heat.
Flour: Thickens the batter and adds structure so it holds together when baked.
Milk: Provides the liquid that hydrates the flour and makes the batter pourable and moist.
Baking powder: Releases gas as it heats, helping the batter rise and turn lighter.
Jack cheese: Melts into the dish, adding richness, fat and a creamy texture.
Shortening: Adds fat that softens the batter and gives a tender crumb.

The step that matters

Pour batter over all and bake at 350° 45 to 60 minutes. The eggs and flour in the batter set as they heat, so the casserole firms up gradually. Because the record gives a 45 to 60 minute range, the dish should be checked for doneness rather than removed on a fixed time.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.