Joy the Baker

Chilaquiles Frittata Bake

by 37 Comments

It’s often right before dinner is served that I start to think about breakfast.  It’s about 12 minutes before hangry energy sets in, 10 minutes before I gussy up a plate of food for myself, and 20 minutes before I’m full once again and breakfast is a distant future thought.  

There’s that special time when I try to sort through the clutter of my fridge in my mind’s eye and dream up tomorrow’s future.  

This chilaquiles is a product of those pre-dinner daydreams and thank goodness I had a can of diced tomatoes in the pantry.  It feels really good when the pantry stars align.  

Layers of baked tomatoes, crisp-fried tortillas, bacon, eggs, and cheese.  It’s like a frittata casserole that goes from the stovetop to the oven and emerges somehow in between nachos, breakfast, and a chips and salsa binge.  

And while this makes an absolutely satisfying breakfast, it also makes a very fine dinner skillet. 

Here’s what you’ll need for success:

• Corn tortillas that we’ll fry and transform into warm, crisp, super fresh chips. 
• Large eggs. Eight of em.
• A can of diced tomatoes + garlic + spices. In food-math, that’s my homemade / in-a-pinch enchilada sauce.
• Crisp bacon, chopped in bite-size bits and snacked on.
• Grated cheese. Pepper jack or Monterey or Cheddar. Whatever feels like a splurge.
• Sour cream and salsa and fresh parsley for topping.

The canned tomato, sliced garlic, and spices are sautéed in a 10-inch oven-proof skillet.  We want to infuse the spices and cook down some of the moisture.  

Bacon, is baked to crisp in the oven.  If you want to use sautéed ground sausage, great!  

For a vegetarian option, seasoned black beans or seasoned pinto beans wouldd be perfect!  

Let it all come down to whatcha like and whatcha got in your fridge.  

Corn tortillas are fried in about a 1/4-inch of oil.  The crisp tortillas will stand up well to the diced tomatoes and eggs.  

Store-bought chips won’t have the same effect.  

Baked corn tortilla wedges will also work just fine, though they’ll become more tender and less crisp in the frittata.  

Just so you know your tortilla options! 

Eight eggs + a good splash of milk.  A hearty pinch of salt + a hearty grinding of black pepper.  

Crisp chips are wedges into the tomato mixture every which way.  

We want the chips sticking up a bit.   It’s all about the crispy bits.  

Crisp chopped bacon atop the chips.  

Egg mixture + grated cheese.  

Off to bake in the oven until the eggs puff slightly and firm up, just about 30 minutes.  

With sour cream, salsa and a spritz of lime this dish is DONE! 

Sliced into thick wedges, you’ll find a layer of warm garlicy tomatoes, tender baked eggs tangled with crisp tortillas and bacon bites…. all topped with melty cheese. 

Dang good.  Breakfast, yes.  Brunch, of course.  Dinner? Heck yes! 

Make it with what you have on hand. Make it easy… just make sure there’s enough sour cream and salsa to go around.  Fighting about sour cream is real and avoidable. 

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Chilaquiles Frittata Bake

  • Author: Joy the Baker
  • Prep Time: 20
  • Cook Time: 30
  • Total Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 8 tortillas, each tortilla cut into 6 wedges
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper
  • 6 sliced crisp bacon, diced
  • 8 large eggs
  • 2 tablespoons whole milk
  • 1/2 cup grated monterey or pepper jack cheese
  • chopped fresh parsley, a dollop of sour cream, a dollop of salsa for topping

Instructions

  1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. In a 10-inch cast iron (or any other oven-proof skillet) heat can of tomatoes (juice and all) over medium heat until it simmers around the edges. Add the sliced garlic and spices, and simmer until some of the juice simmers off, about 4 minutes.
  3. Remove from heat.
  4. In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add some of the tortilla wedges, being careful not to crowd the pan. Fry until both sides of the tortilla wedges are golden brown and crisp, about 4 minutes. Remove from the pan and place on a few layers of paper towel to drain. Salt lightly and continue cooking the tortillas in batches.
  5. Layer the fresh tortilla chips into the warm tomatoes and garlic. Dig some of the chips into the tomato and layer the chips around the edges. Some of the chips can be sticking up, not everything has to be flat.
  6. Sprinkle in chopped bacon.
  7. In a medium bowl whisk together eggs, milk, and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Pour over the tomato, chip and bacon mixture. Top with grated cheese.
  8. Place in the oven and bake until the eggs are set, 25 – 30 minutes.
  9. Remove from the oven and garnish with fresh parsley, and a big dollop of sour cream and salsa. Enjoy warm in big slices!

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 6

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Chilaquiles just went off the brunch menu at the restaurant where I work, so I need more chilaquiles in my life. I’ve never seen a chilaquiles frittata before, though. This looks brilliant, and I’m going to have to try your recipe.

    Reply

  4. so, i have this thing with soggy foods. i don’t do bread pudding. or tres leches. no tortilla strips in my tortilla soup. i won’t even dip my cookies in milk until they’re so soggy they fall apart. *gag*

    with that said, my heart is sad that this looks SO good (and easy) but i won’t have it. if i omit the chips, i feel like it would just be… skillet eggs.

    i guess this is a long winded way of asking: do the chips stay crispy? *fingers crossed*

    Reply

    • Jeanette, I make this dish on the stove top, and you can ensure that the chips stay crispy by: (1) cook them until they’re very, very crispy (on the verge of being overdone); and (2) scramble the eggs with the enchilada sauce and add the chips and cheese in just before they’re set.

      Reply

  7. Why not use a bag of “Thick and Crispy Gruesos” from Casa Sanchez instead of frying up your own? I know this is supposed to be from scratch, but if you’re using canned tomatoes go ahead and use a bag of chips. OH my I will make this, and it will be all that AND a bag of chips. :-) Thank you, Girlfriend.

    Reply

  8. Hey! These look phenomenal :) Question, though. I’ve heard that you shouldn’t cook acidic foods, like tomatoes, in cast iron…let alone a whole can of them. Is that just a “wives’ tale” of sorts?

    Reply

      • It’s just so you don’t remove the seasoning from your pan. It doesn’t do anything bad to you or your food, you’ll just have to reseason your pan when you’re done

        Reply

    • Erika Tracy at @kitchn posts: A well-seasoned pan can handle acidic foods with impunity…wait until your [cast iron pan] is well-seasoned… very acidic foods, like tomatoes and citrus juices…will strip the seasoning and result in discoloration and metallic-tasting food.

      Reply

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