Chilaquilles

Instruction​

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Fry Your Tortillas:

• Chop a pack of corn tortillas into sections

  • I like thin strips, but do whatever you want.

• Add a glug of olive oil to the pan and swirl it until it is evenly coated

• It is important to allow the oil to heat up before frying, otherwise the oil will soak into the tortillas instead of frying the surface.

  • To test this, flick a few drops of water into the pan. If it sizzles, the oil is hot enough.

• Once the oil is hot, add the tortillas to the pan in one layer so every piece is touching the pan directly

  • This will likely need to be done in multiple batches. Do not overcrowd the pan or have a lot of overlap

• Once the tortillas begin to show color on the bottom, flip them over

• Remove and drain each batch of tortillas on paper towels

  • The tortillas will crisp more as they dry, so they should still be semi-soft when you remove them from the pan

• Sprinkle sea salt over the tortilla strips immediately while they are still hot, then set aside to drain.

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Cook Your Veggies and Meat:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

• In a cold pan, add olive oil and the chili pepper mixture of:

  • 1 serrano

  • 1 jalapeno

  • 1 habanero

• Once the oil has heated up, add:

  • the white slices of your chopped spring onion bunch (save the green for topping later

  • chopped garlic

  • half of your sliced black olives

• Once the vegetables are softened, add 1/2 pound of ground beef, seasoning with:

  • salt and pepper

  • Oregano

• Saute your meat mixture until browned, keeping in mind that it will finish cooking in the oven.

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Combine Everything:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

• Spray a casserole dish with olive oil and lay the tortillas along the bottom and sides

• Layer your tortillas and meat within your casserole dish:

  • Line the bottom of your pan with half of the tortilla strips.

  • Add half of the meat mixture evenly into the pan

  • Add some more tortilla pieces over the meat

  • Add the rest of the meat mixture

  • (You know how layering works.)

• Open your 28 ounce can of Red Chili Sauce, stir it with a spoon (very important), and pour the sauce over your casserole

  • You can stir around a bit if needed, but be careful not to break apart your tortillas. The sauce will absorb into the casserole as it bakes.

  • Try to leave tortillas around the edge of the casserole without sauce so they retain crispiness​ 

• ​Top the casserole with a generous amount of cheese

  • Mexican cheese blend or Cotija

• Sprinkle your remaining sliced olives along the top of the dish

• Bake for 20-25 minutes until the sauce bubbles and the cheese begins to crisp along the edges

• Let the dish sit for 10 or so minutes

  • Otherwise, when you try to serve this, it will be a liquidy mess. Patience!​

• Garnish the dish with:

  • the greens of your chopped spring onion

  • fresh cilantro

  • lime wedges