Chilaquiles Verdes with Baked Tortilla Chips

First things first.

Let’s learn how to pronounce your new favorite dish.  “Chee-la-key-lays”. You got it.

Chilaquiles are a traditional Mexican peasant dish of fried tortillas bathed in green or red salsa (depending on the region) until tender. It was born as a clever way to revive yesterday’s tortillas and leftover salsa. Making chilaquiles from scratch is no joke. There is frying and chopping and simmering and a whole bunch of work involved.

However, my version is so easy it feels like a cheat.

This entire dish takes less than 20 minutes to pull together and I can’t resist its combination of flavors. The salsa verde soaks into the tortilla chips lining the bottom of the skillet, giving them a softened yet still crispy texture. Think of it as a cross between deconstructed enchiladas and your favorite nachos. Once simmered, chilaquiles is definitely a dish that’s open to the creator’s own interpretation. You can play around with your favorite toppings. I love to top them with diced tomatoes, fresh cilantro, minced red onion and big chunks of creamy avocado, however, I strongly encourage you to do you this Cinco de Mayo.

Make it a fiesta to remember, friends.

Chilaquiles Verdes with Baked Tortilla Chips

Baked Tortilla Chip
16 organic corn tortillas (I recommend local Tortilleria Panchanga)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon fine-grain sea salt or 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt

Salsa Verde
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 cups Salsa Verde (I recommend Trader Joe’s Salsa Verde)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Juice of half a lime

Toppings
1 avocado, sliced
1/2 cup diced tomato
1/3 cup crumbled Cotija, queso fresco or feta cheese (omit for vegan option)
3 tablespoons chopped red onion
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

To bake the chips: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit with racks in the upper-middle and lower-middle positions. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. In a bowl, toss tortilla’s lightly with oil. Stack the tortillas, 4 at once, and slice them into 8 wedges. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Divide the wedges between the two baking sheets and arrange them evenly across the pans. Sprinkle half the salt over one pan and half over the other.

Bake, swapping the pans on their racks every 5 minutes, until the chips are slightly curling up at the edges and some are starting to turn golden. Once you see the chips on the top rack turn golden on the edges, remove that pan and move the pan on the lower rack up to the top. Bake until those chips start turning golden on the edges, then remove from the oven.

Once the chips are out of the oven, warm the olive oil in a large, non-reactive (stainless steel) skillet. Once it’s shimmering, add the salsa verde, being careful to avoid splatters. Raise the heat to medium and bring the mixture to a simmer, then remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in the tortilla chips, cilantro and lime juice until all of the chips are lightly coated, then cover and let the mixture rest until the chips have softened slightly, about 2 to 5 minutes. Uncover the pot and smother with the toppings of your choice. Chilaquiles are best served promptly. Enjoy!