Breakfast under 5 minutes: Simple Chilaquiles

Chilaquiles is a popular Mexican dish that's traditionally eaten for breakfast or brunch. It's the perfect filling meal. It's a great way to use leftover meat. It's tasty. It's fast to make. And it gives me all the energy I need for a Saturday full of errands and chores.

I'm Filipino American but I believe I was destined to cook and love Mexican food.

I was first introduced to chilaquiles over brunch when I was a young working professional years and years (and years) ago. At that time I was so focused on building my career and I had no clue how to cook. You could say I faked my way for friends and potlucks! 

One day I was invited over to brunch at my mentor's home. We were having a "career talk" as she cooked. I was a mere observer. As she whipped up this dish, I thought to myself, "this dish looks so easy--why even write it on a recipe card?" She proceeded to combine shredded chicken, enchilada sauce, eggs, and cut up tortillas in a pan and fry it up until cooked through. So simple and so good. The tortillas had a delightful crunch and the sauce really elevated the dish. Later, I found out that there are other variations of this dish that use salsa or other sauces, (but how easy was this to cook?)

Fast forward to couple of years later. I decided to go back to school and found myself living a student life. I lived with another student who became one of my good girlfriends. We had our career talks too, but she taught me how to cook a tasty Mole Chicken and I sampled so many of her Mexican foods (some from scratch). We might have made chilaquiles at one point. To this day, I go to her for Mexican recipes!

And so I continue to cook my way to satisfying meals every day (with some mess ups). But I feel so fortunate and grateful for all the women I've come across in my life that taught me how to cook.  

Today, I cook a very simple version of chilaquiles. It all depends on what I have at home (and it's a great way for using leftover meat). For one person, you can use 1-2 torn up tortillas, 1 egg, shredded meat of choice, and cheese to top it all. I do it all in a pan and in a few minutes, I have a satisfying breakfast to get me started for the day.

What to do with leftover pulled pork? It's chilaquiles time!

Dig in! Simple chilaquiles to start the day! Yum.

I've been so focused on menu planning for dinner that I almost forgot how much I love this dish for breakfast. Perhaps in the future, I will start adding more ingredients, but for now, it's quick and easy for me!

Simple Chilaquiles
(makes 2 servings)

Ingredients
2-4 tortillas 
2 eggs
Shredded meat of choice (I used leftover pork, since I made pulled pork the other day).
Grated cheese of choice
Optional/"If You Have it": salsa or enchilada sauce.

Tear your tortillas up in pieces. Add some oil to the pan and fry the tortillas until you see they are starting to crisp. If using sauce, add a few tablespoons of some enchilada or salsa sauce and stir until tortillas are covered (but not drenched). Add the shredded meat and stir. Finally, crack 2 eggs into your dish and use a wooden spoon to mix it all together until the egg is cooked. Remove from heat and plate it. Top with cheese. Serve chilaquiles with a side of pinto or black beans for a complete and nutritious breakfast!


It's YOUR turn:

What dishes were passed down to you that you still make? Will you be passing it on?

Seriously try this chilaquiles dish for breakfast---it's a great way to mix up your breakfast menu and get some protein in for the day.

Oh, and I'm now on pinterest! Check out my board on food I've made (including this dish) and feel free to explore, follow, or let me know about your boards!