Warning

This is not a meal for your weekly meal plan. This is one of those throw-together kinds of meals. You know, the one when you wake up famished and the only thing in your fridge are leftovers from taco night. Or when you’ve spent the entire day playing outside and you have no idea what to make for dinner. Chilaquiles was created as a way to use up leftover stale tortillas and is typically eaten for breakfast or brunch. This is one of those meals that surprises you in its simplicity—and in its deliciousness—and is a fantastic way to use some of those tomatoes you canned last summer.

Ingredients

That bag of tortilla chip crumbs cluttering your counter
The handful of rotisserie chicken you don’t know what to do with (or black beans, or leftover taco meat, or roasted veggies. seriously, whatever is staring at you from the refrigerator shelves)
1 jar of tomatoes with chiles that you canned in the summer (or enchilada sauce, or taco sauce, or even salsa will do)
1/2 cup of water (or 1/2 cup broth)
1 spoonful of better than bouillon (leave out if using broth)
Whatever fresh ingredients you have in your fridge to use as toppings

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°.
Heat a cast-iron skillet on your stove. I used an 8-incher for 2 people. If you’re feeding more than 2, you’ll want a bigger skillet, and you’ll want to double the ingredients.
Pour tomatoes, water, and bouillon into your hot skillet. Bring it to a boil and let simmer for 3-5 minutes to thicken up
Put tortilla crumbs into the skillet and stir slightly to mix. You want most of your chips a little on the soggy side. I know it sounds gross, but trust me. The flavor is astounding in the end.
Throw your leftovers on top. Sprinkle some shredded cheese on it if you’d like.
Put it in the oven and let it bake for 15-20 minutes, or until everything is warm and your cheese is melted.
Take it out of the oven, divide onto plates, and let people dig in. I like to put shredded cabbage, radishes, cilantro on top if I have them in the fridge. If I don’t, then I just eat it as is.

Note

If you want an extra boost of protein, top it with a fried egg. I’m lazy about breakfast so I eat it sans egg, but my husband isn’t lazy, so he goes the extra mile. The egg does make for a very pretty picture.