growing up two hours from the boarder pretty much demands that you develop a taste for great mexican food. no, not taco bell, johnny's taco hut or that tex-mex place down the street from you. true, this land actually used to be mexico, mexican food.

now, don't be alarmed. i am not going to go out of bounds and say that i have a high SKILL level or a deep culinary understanding of all the different types of mexican foods, but i do love it in all its shapes, sizes, colors and flavors. their sauces are pieces of art to be studied. and i'm pretty much in kindergarden. but it is the most delicious kindergarden ever. 

i usually have some homemade salsa on hand (because there are many that are easy to make and store for future use and snacking). salsa verde and pico de gallo are my go to salsas, but if you like something with more of a punch this fire roasted tomato salsa will be right up your alley.
and salsas are the perfect addition to pretty much any breakfast in my book. i recently had some extra salsa verde and pico on hand after making enchiladas for weekly delivery but lately, i've really only had time to whip up breakfast. 

enter the chilaquiles. they are meant to be a leftover dish so you could sub the chicken for another protein or you could sub the chips for some tortillas. basically use what you have on hand!

chilaquiles verde
serves: 2
prep time: 5 minutes
active time: 20-30 minutes
total time: 35 minutes
ingredients: 4 cups tortilla chips. 2 cups salsa verde. 1 cup shredded chicken (or other leftover protein). 1 cup mexican blend cheese. 2 eggs. handful of cilantro leaves, roughly chopped. .25 cup pico de gallo. 1 tsp kosher salt. .5 tsp fresh ground pepper. 

start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees f. in a medium sized (oven safe) skillet, crush up your chips and make a nice even layer of chips. drizzle half the salsa verde over the chips and sprinkle with half the cheese. 

sprinkle with the shredded chicken. 

make two little nests. crack one egg into each nest and season hem well with salt and pepper. 

drizzle the remaining salsa verde around the eggs (not covering them) and top with the remaining cheese. bake until the cheese is melty and the eggs are set. about 20-30 minutes. 

when the eggs are set and cheese is melty, remove from the oven. garnish with cilantro. 

top with pico de gallo (or serve on the side if you prefer) and enjoy. 

xo, a

chilaquiles verde
serves: 2
prep time: 5 minutes
active time: 20-30 minutes
total time: 35 minutes
ingredients: 4 cups tortilla chips. 2 cups salsa verde. 1 cup shredded chicken (or other leftover protein). 1 cup mexican blend cheese. 2 eggs. handful of cilantro leaves, roughly chopped. .25 cup pico de gallo. 1 tsp kosher salt. .5 tsp fresh ground pepper.
start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees f. in a medium sized (oven safe) skillet, crush up your chips and make a nice even layer of chips. drizzle half the salsa verde over the chips and sprinkle with half the cheese.sprinkle with the shredded chicken. make two little nests. crack one egg into each nest and season hem well with salt and pepper. drizzle the remaining salsa verde around the eggs (not covering them) and top with the remaining cheese. bake until the cheese is melty and the eggs are set. about 20-30 minutes. when the eggs are set and cheese is melty, remove from the oven. garnish with cilantro. top with pico de gallo (or serve on the side if you prefer) and enjoy. 

in case you skipped a beat, a few months ago i spent some time focusing on serrated knives and many of their glorious uses. honestly, it is number two in my list of must have knives. and here is one of the most important reasons. 

pico de gallo is one of my staples. when i can get my hands on good tomatoes, i make sure to keep it around at all times. i love it on its own with chips, on a quick quesadilla or spooned over freshly grilled chicken or steak. 

the bonus is that is requires no cooking and is as simple as chopping things. be sure to use your serrated knife for the tomatoes to get nice clean cuts. 

pico de gallo
serves: 4 cups
total time: 20 minutes
ingredients: 3 cups diced (about .5 inch) vine ripe tomatoes. 1 small brown onion, diced (about .25 inch). 4 garlic clove, minced. 2 tbs chopped cilantro. 1 tbs lime juice. 1 tbs kosher salt. 1 tsp fresh ground pepper. 

in a large bowl, combine the tomatoes with half the salt and pepper. 

add in the onion, cilantro and garlic. 

sprinkle the remaining salt and pepper over the top and drizzle with the lime juice. stir well to combine. 

serve with your favorite chips. or store on hand for up to a week.

xo, a

pico de gallo
serves: 4 cups
total time: 20 minutes
ingredients: 3 cups diced (about .5 inch) vine ripe tomatoes. 1 small brown onion, diced (about .25 inch). 4 garlic clove, minced. 2 tbs chopped cilantro. 1 tbs lime juice. 1 tbs kosher salt. 1 tsp fresh ground pepper.
n a large bowl, combine the tomatoes with half the salt and pepper. add in the onion, cilantro and garlic. sprinkle the remaining salt and pepper over the top and drizzle with the lime juice. stir well to combine. serve with your favorite chips. or store on hand for up to a week.