Whenever I’m missing Mexico and my next resort vacation, I indulge a bit and make my favorite Tex-Mex dish.  If you’ve ever had breakfast at an all-inclusive resort in Cancun or the Riviera Maya, you know about the ever popular Chilaquiles Rojos/Verdes (red or green sauce) and how quickly it disappears (along with the bacon, lol).  While this dish can be a bit messy, it is totally worth the prep and the calories and can be enjoyed as a breakfast or dinner meal.

I’ve modified this recipe from Nick Kindelsperger’s recipe in Serious Eats.com–“Dinner Tonight:  Chilaquiles Rojos Recipe”.  He modified his recipe from Rick Bayless’ recipe in his book entitled “Authentic Mexican”.  Here’s my version.

INGREDIENTS

(for the sauce)

• 1 Tblsp. oil
• 1 28 oz. can whole tomatoes, undrained
• 3-4+ jalapenos, stemmed, seeded, and chopped (I use 3 jalapenos because I like less spicy food).  Make sure to use cooking gloves while cutting the jalapenos in order to avoid transferring the residual spicy juices onto cuts or in your eyes from your fingers later on.
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped

(added to the initial sauce mix)

• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 c. chicken broth (use Campbell’s Chicken Broth for a saltier version)
• tortilla chips (do not use Tostitos brand or a less hearty version of a chip, the chips will get too mushy.  I get a locally made denser chip which works out much better at retaining the overall quality of the dish).
• 2 c.+ deli chicken, chopped into small bite-size pieces

DIRECTIONS

1. Make the sauce first–add the can of tomatoes, chopped jalapenos, onion, and garlic to a food processor or blender and process until just smooth (don’t overly process it).
2. Add the cooking oil to a large pan and heat it over a medium setting until the oil is hot enough to sizzle a bit when you add the sauce.
3. Add the sauce to the heated pan.  Simmer (covered) for 20 minutes to blend the flavors and slightly reduce the sauce.  You only want to see small simmer bubbles, not a boil.
4.  Add 1/2 tsp salt or to flavor.
5. Pour the chicken broth into the sauce mixture and stir.  Add the pre-cooked deli chicken at this time and simmer the mixture until it is hot in temperature.
6. Add the chips at this point.  You can add as much or as few chips as desired–I like to load up on the chips to absorb a lot of the sauce.
7. Stir the chips until they are coated with the sauce and simmer a few minutes.  FYI:  If you want an even heartier version of this dish, crack 3-4 eggs on top of the mixture and simmer (covered) until the eggs are set.

Ready to plate with the toppings already on

The dish should be ready to plate at this point.  Have bowls of thinly sliced radishes, thinly sliced onions, sour cream, finely chopped cilantro, small cut up cubes of Mexican cheese (queso fresco), and slices of avocado for toppings.  Add more tortilla chips to plates if the sauce is too plentiful.  Serves 4-6 (depending on one’s appetite).

If you want to increase your dining pleasure (especially for breakfast), have a Bloody Mary as well.  It’s a nice accompaniment to the food; you might want to follow the meal with a nap!!  Enjoy.

picture taken from Thrillist

Oops, wrong photo of the Bloody Mary!  But it may be interesting to give it a try……

Have you had Chilaquiles Rojos or Verdes while on vacation in Mexico?