Chilaquiles

I think my wife discovered chilaquiles on our honeymoon in Puebla, MX.  We were at a hotel that had been a convent back in the colonial period (probably for some really rich nuns because the place was very impressive).  They had a great breakfast buffet and we had our choice of different types of the dish almost every morning.  While I had never thought much about them before, my wife was so excited, I think she ate them for every breakfast.  So of course they show up every once in a while around our house!

Chilaquiles (chee-lah-key-les) are small, corn chip sized pieces of corn tortillas that are lightly fried and served with a chile sauce and cheese.  In a sense, it's like a tasty casserole that can be eaten either for breakfast or as a regular meal.  The sauces can vary from red to green chile or mole sauce.    

Instead of frying the corn tortilla pieces, I prefer to bake them, brushed with a little vegetable oil.  They crisp nicely and don't soak up all the oil that the traditional method does.

For corn chips:
12 corn tortillas.
1 T. vegetable oil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Brush both sides of the tortillas with oil and cut into eighths to make chips.  Spread out on a baking pan and bake for 12 to 15 minutes (stirring/turning the chips at about 7 minutes).

For chilaquiles:
3 cups red chile sauce
1 cup grated cheese
cilantro and green onion for garnish

Place corn chips into a greased casserole dish and toss with half of the cheese.  Add sauce and stir slightly to coat the chips evenly.  Toss the rest of the cheese on top and bake (350 degrees) for 15 minutes or until cheese has begun to brown.

Buen provecho!