Chilaquiles

Cookbook Category: Breakfast & Brunch, Tex-Mex

Chilaquiles are a favorite Tex-Mex breakfast casserole that goes well with huevos rancheros. Many people eat this chicken and tortilla dish the morning after a long night of drinking, which is why this recipe appeared in a larger article featuring about New Year's hangover cures. Honestly, this Chilaquiles casserole tastes so good and it is so filling, there's no reason to confine this recipe to breakfast.

When we first made it, we felt like we were making a variation of King Ranch Chicken.

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
10 to 12 corn tortillas cut into 1-inch wide strips
1 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
1 cup cooking oil
Sour Cream

Chilaquiles Sauce

2 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes, drained
1 medium white onion (hold back 1/4 of the onion and dice)
2 garlic cloves
2 jalapeños, seeded and chopped
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chicken stock

Using a knife or scissors, cut tortillas into 1-inch wide strips. Heat 1 cup of cooking oil in a large skillet over high heat and place tortilla strips by the handful into the oil and fry until golden brown, about 10 to 15 seconds. Remove tortillas and drain on a paper towel-covered dish. Continue until all tortillas are fried.

Put the chicken breasts in a medium pot and fill with water, covering them with 1-inch of the water. Add the garlic and the 3/4 of the white onion (cut in chunks) and bring to a boil until chicken is fully cooked, about 20 minutes. Remove chicken, onion and garlic, and retain 1/2 cup of the broth. Set chicken aside to cool on a cutting board.

Place the onion, garlic, jalapeño, tomatoes, chicken broth, salt and pepper in a blender and purée. Pour the puréed sauce into a skillet and cook over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. While sauce is cooking, begin to shred chicken by holding the breast with a fork and shredding thin strips off with another fork. Place chicken into the sauce for the last 5 minutes of cooking. Remove sauce from heat and set aside.

Oil a 1.5-quart (6-cup) pan or casserole dish and begin to layer fried tortilla strips over the bottom, then spoon sauce over the top, cover with shredded cheese and repeat until all ingredients are used and topped with cheese. Cover dish with foil and bake in a 350°F preheated oven for about 20 minutes.

Chilaquiles can be topped with the reserved chopped onion and/or sour cream. Serve with creamy refried beans and guacamole. If you're making this for breakfast, dish it up with fried or scrambled eggs on the side. Makes 6 to 10 servings.

Prep time: 40 minutes; Cooking time: 20 minutes; Total time: 1 hour