Chilaquiles Strata

 

Chilaquiles are a Mexican breakfast staple that involves cooking tortilla chips in a spicy tomato sauce on the stove and then topping them with cheese and fried eggs. While I love a classic, it’s a dish that involves hands-on attention, which is not always possible when you’re cooking for a crowd. Enter the Chilaquiles Breakfast Strata. Here, I’ve taken all of the elements we love from the traditional version – the eggs, the sauce-covered chips and the crispy edges – and created an easy one-pan breakfast casserole.

 
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Serves 6

  • Nonstick cooking spray, for greasing

  • One small bunch Lacinato kale, stemmed

  • 12 large eggs

  • 1 cup milk, preferably 2% or higher

  • ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro, plus small sprigs for garnish

  • 1 Tablespoon minced jalapeño pepper

  • 1 large garlic clove, finely grated

  • 1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese

  • Kosher salt and pepper

  • 4 cups lightly crushed corn tortilla chips (about 6 ounces)

  • ½ cup thawed frozen corn

  • ½ cup rinsed and drained canned black beans

  • ¾ cup store-bought or homemade tomatillo salsa

  • Thinly sliced scallions, julienned radish, halved cherry tomatoes and chopped avocado, for garnish

  • Salsa roja and Mexican crema, for serving

    1. Preheat the oven to 375° and grease a 9-by-13-inch or 3-quart baking dish.

    2. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the kale leaves and simmer, stirring once or twice, until just wilted, about 30 seconds. Drain, pat dry and coarsely chop. Squeeze any excess water out of the kale.

    3. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk, chopped cilantro, jalapeño, garlic and ½ cup of the cheese. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

    4. Layer the tortilla chips in the prepared baking dish with the corn, black beans and kale. Pour the egg mixture over the top, making sure everything is evenly distributed. Dollop the tomatillo salsa over the top. Bake the strata until it is just set around the edges, but still a little wobbly in the middle, about 20 minutes.

    5. Scatter the remaining ½ cup of cheese over the top. Bake until the middle of the casserole is just set and the cheese on top is melted, about 5 minutes more. Let cool for 5 minutes, then garnish with scallions, radish, cherry tomatoes and avocado. Serve with salsa roja and Mexican crema.