Chilaquiles Make-Ahead Breakfast Bake

One of the greatest gifts of modern society is brunch.

Hosting brunch and eating chilaquiles. I love them both! Doing them simultaneously? Nearly impossible. One year during Thanksgiving, I spent the majority of the morning poaching eggs one-by-one for each dish. This allowed meals to be served approximately every seven minutes, and it was exhausting (not to mention, I was starving).

Last year, I decided that I no longer needed or wanted to prepare and serve high-maintenance egg dishes. During a get-together, people just want to eat, drink, and mingle! For my brunch menu, chilaquiles were a top contender; it’s quick, delicious, and an all-around fave. But again, I was faced with the roadblock of individually preparing eight eggs cooked over easy or poached.

I am always game for a one-dish bake (which you’ll see a lot of around here). Overnight breakfast bakes are convenient, time-friendly, and allow the ingredients to come to life.

Scanning through a Better Homes & Gardens magazine, I came upon a recipe that integrated both chilaquiles and day-ahead preparation. I tinkered with the recipe a bit before settling on this one, adding different elements like a thickened enchilada sauce and hot green chiles.

Serving options

Serve this dish to up to 8 people using a 9×13 or 3-quart baking dish, or you can prepare them individually for 4 people using single-serve ceramic baking dishes or mini Dutch ovens by cutting the recipe in half. Heck, you can serve it individually to a crowd if you have the dishware!

Because this bake is so easily stored overnight, you can efficiently make brunch for a larger family gathering by preparing two or more 9×13 baking dishes. Want to share the love? Make this ahead using a single-use baking tray and bring it to a friend or neighbor as a treat or during a time of need.

Preparing the chips

A few options here. I like to bake mine—its quick, mindless, and I can multi-task as they crisp up in the oven. It’s up to you!

• Bake them in the oven on parchment paper

• Fry them in an air fryer, deep fryer, or lightly in a pan

• Use ready-made thick corn tortillas chips

I prefer my food a little on the spicier side, but you can reduce your measurement of Chipotle peppers to cut back on the heat. Slow-cooking chicken in a crockpot is always an option, but in my experience, it’s less time consuming and more cost-effective to buy a rotisserie. I almost always use a rotisserie chicken for dishes that call for shredded chicken!

How saucy do you like it?

Double-up on shredded chicken for a thicker, denser bake. You might prefer something a little saucier, in which case you’ll use one cup of chicken rather than two. If you end up choosing the former, try these tips when getting ready to bake the chilaquiles:

• Reserve one cup of sauce for the morning and add just before cracking the eggs. A saucier top allows you to create the egg indents while ensuring that you get a nice bite of sauce with the first bite!

• Layer the sauce and chicken rather than incorporating them the night before. Pour half of your sauce over the chips, add the shredded chicken, and then top with the remaining sauce.

Baking your chilaquiles

Ah, the exciting part! Putting this tasty bake into the oven. Depending on your eggs’ size, you’ll want to ensure that you create a deep enough indent in the bake so that the eggs don’t spill out.

• Crack eggs individually into a ramekin or small cup and slowly pour into the craters you’ve made using the back of a large spoon

• For a yolkier egg, bake the chilaquiles for an additional 5-10 minutes before adding the eggs

• For an over-medium to over-hard temperature, cover the baking dish or dishes in foil once it’s done and turn the broiler on high for 1-3 minutes

• Crack a little pepper over the eggs and sprinkle some Cotija cheese, in lieu of salt, over the entire bake before finishing in the oven

Brunch is served

Chilaquiles are best served within a few minutes of emerging from the oven. Carefully cut the bake into 8 pieces and serve in a shallow bowl or on a plate. What’s great about this meal is that there are so many garnish options! Of course, I’d choose them all. But depending on your guests and their food preferences, try these dressings:

• Sprinkle with Cotija cheese after removing from the oven

• Drizzle with crema or sour cream

• Add chopped cilantro or serve on the side

• Serve with sliced avocado or your favorite guacamole

• Top with pickled onions or jalapeños

Overnight chilaquiles bake isn’t just for special occasions—you can prepare this for any make-ahead meal! And because it’s so easy to make and store, the options are endless.

• Effortless weekend morning breakfast or brunch

• On a weeknight, using leftover chicken for the next morning

• Prepare in the morning and enjoy for dinner

• Make ahead and bring to a friend or family member’s house

Let’s be honest, chilaquiles are appropriate any time of the day, any day of the week. Let’s start preparing!

Print

Chilaquiles Make-Ahead Breakfast Bake

• Author: Nancy
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 60 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Yield: 8 slices 1x
• Category: Brunch
• Method: Bake
• Cuisine: Mexican

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Description

Chilaquiles are a breakfast favorite that can be easily made into a bake by preparing the night before!

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

15 corn tortillas

1 tbsp canola or olive oil

1/2 white or red onion

1 tsp minced or crushed garlic

1 –14 oz. can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes

1 –14 oz. can red enchilada sauce

1 cup reduced-sodium chicken stock

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp ancho chile powder

1/4 tsp poultry seasoning

1/4 cup minced chipotle peppers in adobo

2 oz. can diced green chiles

1–2 cups shredded chicken

8 eggs

For Garnish

Cilantro

Home-made pickled onions

Avocado, sliced

Crema or sour cream

Cotija cheese, crumbled

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Instructions

The Night Before

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Cut your tortillas into triangles. You should get 6-8 per tortilla. Arrange on a baking sheet and bake for 15 mins. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce

3. In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat

4. Cook onions until they begin to soften and add the garlic. Cook another 2 minutes or to fragrance

5. Add all remaining ingredients except the chicken and eggs. Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes

6. While the sauce is cooking, arrange the chips along the bottom of your 9×13 baking dish or within your small ceramic cocottes (mini dutch ovens)

7. Once the sauce has finished simmering, stir in the chicken*

8. Pour the chicken and sauce mixture over the chips. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight

 

The Next Morning

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. While the oven preheats, remove your bake and let sit at room temperature

2. Bake for 35-40 minutes, covered with foil

3. Remove from oven and uncover. Create 8 indents (or one for every egg) with the back of a spoon or an ice cream scoop

4. Crack one egg at a time into a small cup or pinch bowl and pour into indentations

6. Keep the dish uncovered and bake an additional 10-15 minutes, until the whites have set. Rotating the pan halfway through baking the eggs can help

7. If everyone is enjoying this with cheese, sprinkle a handful of cotija over the bake while letting it sit for 5 minutes

8. Slice, serve, garnish, and enjoy!

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Equipment

Small Ceramic Cocottes

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9×13 Baking Dish

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Notes

For single-serving dishes or small ceramic cocottes, reduce the initial baking time by 10 minutes.

Keywords: Brunch, Chilaquiles, Eggs, Breakfast, One dish