I had a bunch of corn tortillas leftover from making enchiladas the other night, so I decided to use them to make chilaquiles for dinner yesterday.

I thought that I’d made chilaquiles before, but as it turns out, I hadn’t. I know this because I thought that you baked them in the oven. Then, I realized that the whole process involves frying.

You start by sautéing the tortilla triangles in a pan of oil. You remove them when they’re golden brown and let them rest on a paper-towel lined plate to soak out some of the excess oil. I sprinkled some salt on top for extra flavor and started snacking on the chips. It’s difficult to resist.

Then, you add some salsa to the frying pan and heat it up until it’s simmering. Add the chips back in and flip them over so the sides are evenly coated with sauce. Let them cook until softened and then you’ll be good to go.

I have a confession that pains me a little to admit: I used canned salsa for the sauce. I wanted to make my own, but I didn’t have tomatoes, it was raining, and I didn’t want to go back outside. Plus, using canned salsa is really easy. I bet these chilaquiles would have tasted even better with homemade salsa, though, so I’ll have to try that next time. I’m thinking that a tomatillo variety would work well.

In other news, I’ve been really into Ralph lately. I’m not sure what her background is but her music is BANGIN. I just looked her up and her Twitter bio says: “if Sade & Stevie Nicks & Donna Summer had a love child,” which seems like a pretty bold proclamation but it’s not too far off. I would add a little Allie X, Tove Lo, and HAIM into the mix.

This is a song that I’ve been jamming out to lately.

Chilaquiles (from me, to you)

Ingredients

12 corn tortillas, sliced into triangles
vegetable oil
sea salt for seasoning
1 can salsa
1 avocado, sliced
juice from 1 lime
1/2 red onion, chopped
cilantro leaves
queso fresco, crumbled
1 fried egg
salt and pepper for seasoning

Directions

Heat about 1/8 inch of oil in a deep, wide saucepan on medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, start adding the tortilla triangles in batches. Fry until they’re golden brown on each side, then remove and place on a paper towel-lined plate to soak off some excess oil. Season with sea salt.

When you’re done frying the chips, clean the brown bits out of the pan and then place it on medium low heat. Add the salsa and heat it up until it’s simmering. Add the chips and flip them until they’re evenly coated with sauce. Cook until the chips are slightly softened, a few minutes.

In the meantime, make the fried egg and prepare your toppings. When the chilaquiles are done cooking, top with red onion, avocado, lime juice, cilantro, queso, fried egg, and more salt and pepper. Enjoy!