I know this week was all about the 4th of July, but I couldn’t kick my craving for Mexican food.  Something about the summer heat makes me crave a good, spicy Mexican meal.  In the heat of the summer my dad always used to make tacos, and now, nothing taste better.

Chilaquiles is a traditional Mexican dish, with different variations popular across Mexico.  I fell in love with this dish prior to going to Mexico, but that love was solidified when there were three different types of Chilaquiles served for breakfast every morning during my trip.  It was Chilaquiles heaven!

Typically, Chilaquiles consists of cut-up tortillas that have been fried and are coated in either a green sauce, red sauce, or a mole sauce.  They can be served with beans, avocado, and are often topped with a fried egg.  This dish can be easily concocted from leftover staples in Mexican food, which makes it an easy go to for brunch!

Mexican Chilaquiles with Red Sauce

(makes two large servings)

• Leftover Tortillas (about 8-10)
• 1/2 onion
• 3 cloves of garlic
• Vegetable Oil
• Queso Fresco
• Any leftover red sauce (I love El Pato which is canned and found in the tomato product aisle)
• 2 eggs
• Optional: beans, avocado, cilantro

Start by cutting the tortillas into triangles.  The easiest way to do this is to stack them all on top of each other, and cut the tortilla into 8 pieces.  Heat a frying pan with a good amount of vegetable oil until it is pretty hot.  Working in batches, fry both sides of the tortilla until golden brown and then transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.  This is the most time consuming part!  In order to not over-fry your tortillas, you will have to do 4-5 batches (or more depending on the size of your frying pan).  It’s okay if some are overdone or underdone, just try not to blacken any of them.

While those are frying, dice the half of an onion and finely chop the garlic.  Grate as much queso fresco as you would like.  Set all three aside.

Once all the chips are finished, wipe out the pan and add an additional teaspoon of oil.  Add your onions to the already hot pan, and saute.  Once the onions have cooked for 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown, add the garlic and saute for an additional minute.  Remove the mixture from the heat, and place in a small bowl.

In a different frying pan, heat more oil (or butter if you would like) and once hot, crack the two eggs into the pan.  Season the eggs with salt and pepper, and flip them over once the white of the egg has solidified.  I cook my eggs over easy to over medium.  The best part is having the yolk run into the sauce!

Once the eggs are almost finished, heat your original frying pan back up and wipe out any excess oil.  Add the chips to the pan and dump the can of sauce over the top.  Mix the pan around until all of the chips are evenly coated, and the sauce has had a chance to warm, about 1-2 minutes.

Divide the Chilaquiles between two plates, top with the sauted onions and garlic, grated cheese, and finish by placing the fried egg on top.

This dish describes Mexico, it is flavorful, a little spicy, and packed with traditional elements.