Chilaquiles with Roasted Rojo and Verde Salsa

Chilaquiles are a super easy and amazingly delish dish that can fit the bill for breakfast, lunch or dinner.  Chilaquiles are generally made with fried corn tortillas, salsa, cheese, and various toppings.  Add eggs and it’s a breakfast dish.  Some rancheros beans, and it’s a hearty lunch.  Add some chorizo and different garnishes, and it’s dinner.  This recipe for Chilaquiles with Roasted Rojo and Verde Salsa takes a shortcut on the tortillas but adds a roasted component to the different salsas.  I think you”ll really enjoy it!

Roasted Rojo and Verda Salsa

Verde Salsa ingredients

I made both roasted verde and rojo salsa for this recipe.  . I used 2 9″x9″ cake pans, and put the ingredients in each, then tossed with salt and olive oil and roasted at 425 for about 20-25 minutes.  To keep the salsas from being too thin, I cut the tomatoes and tomatillos so the liquids would evaporate a bit, deepening the flavor.  For the chilis in each, I left them whole, them stemmed, seeded, and peeled them after roasting them.

Either or both of these salsas can carry this dish, so if you just want to make one, have at it.  Also, both are amazing dips, so remember to serve the extra with some more chips!

Fresh ingredients for rojo salsa

Spend time on the salsa, save time on the chips

Ok, here’s my big time-saving tip.  Use pre-cooked tortilla chips.  Yes, I know it’s much more authentic to cook the chips yourself, but frankly, I kind of like precooked ones as they maintain their crispiness longer.  What I don’t shortcut for this dish are the salsas, using fresh tomatillos, chilis, and some dried chilis in the rojo salsa for depth of flavor.   Now, if you’re really in a hurry, just grab some pre-made verde or red salsa that you like (thinner salsas do better than chunky ones for this dish) and save even more time.  Hey, I don’t judge- cook what makes you happy!

Chilaquiles are for any meal!

When you want to talk about versatility and simplicity in a dish, chilaquiles have to be at the top of the list.  You can garnish them with anything you like- avocado, aiolis, radishes, escabeche, seafood, really anything you want.  And they’ll taste great with it.  Top with some scrambled or over easy eggs and you’ll have a great breakfast.  Use chorizo like I do in this dish, and you’ll have a tasty lunch.  Grill a pork tenderloin and cut into medallions for more protein for an unforgettable dinner.  The choices are endless, and you’ll be glad to have such a versatile dish in your repertoire.

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Chilaquiles with Roasted Rojo and Verde Salsa


Description

Chilaquiles are an amazing, tasty, and quick dish to serve.  And, with some minor adaptations, they are very versatile- serve them as breakfast, lunch, dinner, or an appetizer.   This recipe has not one but two amazing roasted salsas.  Either one (or both) goes great with the chilaquiles or as an awesome dip.


Ingredients

Scale

For the Salsa Rojo

45 Roma tomatoes

1 onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper

2 red jalapeños or fresno peppers

3 dried ancho peppers

2 dried pasilla peppers

1 7 oz can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

4 cloves garlic

1 TBS olive oil

1/2 TBS cumin

1/2 TBS paprika

salt and pepper, to taste

For the Salsa Verde

810 tomatillos, husked, washed and cut in two

12 serranos, optional

12 jalapeños

23 poblanos or Anaheim chilis

1 TBS olive oil

4 cloves garlic

1 onion, chopped

1 bunch cilantro

1 tsp cumin

salt and pepper

For the chilaquiles

8 oz tortilla chips

1 10 oz tube fresh pork chorizo

56 oz shredded Mexican Cheese, such as quesadilla cheese.

Crema, optional

Fresh Cilantro, chopped, for garnish

Other Garnishes for flavor- sliced jalapeños, avocados, radishes, your choice!


Instructions

For the Rojo Salsa

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Place tomatoes, red peppers, garlic cloves, and onion in a pan.  Toss with olive oil, then roast for 20 minutes or until softened and browning.  Remove and let cool.  Remove skin from peppers and stem and seed.

Stem and seed the dried chilis.  Place in a pan and pour boiling hot water over them.  Allow them to sit for at least 15 minutes.  Reserve water.

Add dried chilis, chipotles, roasted veggies, and seasonings to a blender and blend until smooth.  Adjust consistency by adding reserved water, if necessary.  Place in a container and chill for at least 2 hours before serving to help flavors meld.

For the Verde Salsa

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Place prepared poblanos, tomatillos, onions and garlic in a pan and roast for 15-20 minutes, or until items are softened and browning.  Stir if necessary.

Remove from oven and allow to cool.  Add to blender with cilantro and seasonings.  Puree, adjust for salt and pepper or heat level desired, then pour into a container and chill for at least two hours before serving.  Note-try to select smaller tomatillos as they are less bitter.  You can add a dash of honey to the blender if your verde sauce is overly bitter.

For the Chilaquiles

In a skillet over medium high heat, cook the chorizo until fully cooked.  Remove to a paper towel lined plate.

Wipe out skillet, then add in half of the chips and 1 cup salsa of rojo or verde salsa.  Toss chips until warm in salsa, then pour into a baking dish, keeping the chips on one side as much as possible.

Wipe out skillet and repeat with other salsa.

Sprinkle on cooked chorizo and cheese, then place in oven for 4-5 minutes or until cheese is melted.  Remove from oven, drizzle with crema, garnish, and serve.

One Response

  1. Chilaquiles is one of my favorite foods. I tried this and won’t be making them any differently now. YUM!!!

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