Red Chilaquiles (Mexican Chilaquiles Rojos)

A perfect breakfast or brunch recipe, Chilaquiles Rojos is a comforting plate of fried tortillas simmered in red salsa and topped with cheese. Add an egg and beans and you have yourself one satisfying breakfast. Chilaquiles are made up of fresh tortilla chips that are simmered in salsa and topped with queso fresco. There are two main types of chilaquiles: Chilaquiles Rojos and Chilaquiles Verde. Rojos, or red, uses a red salsa. While verde, green, uses green salsa (salsa verde). Chilaquiles can be served by themselves, but they are often found accompanied by a side of beans or refried beans. And, they are often topped with a fried egg. If you wanted to go more of a lunch route with your chilaquiles, you could also top them with shredded chicken. This dish comes together so easily that it makes the perfect Holiday brunch dish, when you want to spend your time enjoying the Holidays rather than tied to the stove. And, if you're having a crowd for brunch, everyone gets to top their chilaquiles the way they like it. You will often find that chilaquiles and migas are confused for each other. They are similar Mexican dishes, but with some marked distinctions that makes it easy to tell them apart. They both use tortilla chips, but for migas the chips are sautéed with scrambled eggs. And, they are served without a sauce. For chilaquiles, the tortilla chips are sautéed with their sauce and often served topped with a fried egg.

2 cups salsa
10 corn tortillas, cut into 1/6 ths
¼ cup oil

Topping:
5 oz queso fresco
¼ cup Mexican crema or sour cream
avocado
red onions
fresh cilantro

To Serve:
6-8 eggs, fried
cooked black beans or refried beans

If your salsa is chunky, pour it into a blender or food processor, and blend until uniform and smooth. Set aside.

Heat 1 Tbsp. oil over medium high heat in large skillet or cast iron pan. Working in batches, fry the cut tortillas until crisp and golden, roughly 3 minutes, flipping and adding oil as needed. Remove the tortilla chips from the skillet when crispy and place on a paper towel lined plate.

Add more oil to skillet and add the salsa. Simmer 5-10 minutes, until it has thickened slightly. (Cooking time will vary depending on the moisture content of your chosen salsa.)

Stir in tortillas and cook for 2-5 more minutes, stirring gently to coat all the tortillas in sauce, but not so much that the tortillas start to fall apart.

Top the chilaquiles with crumbled queso fresco, crema (or sour cream), avocado slices, red onion slices, and/or chopped cilantro, as desired.

Serve with fried eggs and beans, as desired.

Makes 4 servings.

Cook's Notes:

• Dry or day-old tortillas are perfect for this dish.
• Making the tortilla chips can be done ahead of time. You can also make the tortilla chips by brushing the tortillas on both sides with a little oil and baking at 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4) for 15-20 minutes, until crisp. (Check often so they don't burn.)