Easy Chilaquiles con Queso

Chilaquiles are fried tortillas with a tangy tomato sauce and smothered in cheese. In our family, we like to eat chilaquiles with eggs and a side or refried beans.

There are many chilaquiles recipes out there. Some suggest you make your own tomato sauce, while others tell you to bake the chilaquiles. Truthfully, we've never baked our chilaquiles and we always use canned tomato sauce. El Pato tomato sauce is good, but you can also use Las Palmas red enchilada sauce. Now, if you're really, really tired and don't want to bother with the frying of the tortillas, go to your local carniceria or ethnic grocery store and buy good homemade tortilla chips and use those instead (then there's no need to fry!). These are just little tricks I learned from my mom.

INGREDIENTS (serves 4)

• 8 corn tortillas, stale and torn in pieces
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 can (7-3/4 oz.) El Pato tomato sauce (yellow can with duck, can use more if needed)
• 1/2 cup grated Monterrey Jack cheese
• 1/2 red onion, sliced thin
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• salt

DIRECTIONS

Heat olive oil in large skillet. Oil is ready when small piece of tortilla thrown in bubbles. Fry tortillas in batches, until crisp and golden. Remove and drain on paper towels. Drain oil, reserving enough to leave a nice residue in pan.

Add tomato sauce to pan and stir over medium heat until warm. Add tortillas and stir together until warm. Add salt to your liking. Top with cheese. Take off heat. Once cheese melts, add onions, then top with cilantro. Serve with eggs, refried beans, or with breakfast potatoes.