I tend to fall in love with dishes that break the “traditional” mold of a meal.
Curried lentils for breakfast? You read my mind.
Freshly baked tortilla chips sauced up with black beans for dinner? See ya later.
Chilaquiles are the perfect answer to cravings for big flavours, biiiig crunch, and any sort of Mexican food obsession that might be ailing you.
How does this thang go down?
Well, start by sourcing your favourite fresh corn tortillas, cut them up in any which way, and then drizzle them in a neutral tasting oil. Your oven take care of the rest.
Ready to sauce it up a bit? Take them one step further and smother them in a saucy chipotle black bean sauce, leaving them pleasantly soggy and saturated with flavour.
At this point you are almost home free. But not quite yet. Flex your creative side and throw on your favourite burrito-esq toppings. I tend to go for all things spicy + creamy, so I went to town with a yogurt/lime drizzle, jalapenos and feta cheese.
Cilantro or some sort of greenery is also key for a pinch of freshness.
Wishing you a week full of the foods that make you theeee most happy. These are certainly some of mine.
XO.
Mere
To make ahead of time, prepare the bean filling and store in the fridge. Top just before serving. Tortillas are best made day-of.
Ingredients
- 6 corn tortillas, cut into triangles
- 1 can of black beans (540 ml)
- 1 1/2 cups tomato puree (diced/crushed tomatoes could work here in a pinch)
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed and roughly chopped
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced (or half an onion)
- 1-2 tbsp chipotle peppers in adobo (depending on your love for heat)
- Spices: 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp ground cumin
Method
- Preheat the oven to 425 F. On a parchment lined sheet, add the tortillas and drizzle in 1 tbsp of oil and season with salt. Toss and try to coat every nook and cranny with oil.
- Arrange in an even layer and bake for 4-6 min, until a few brown spots appear. Check after 4 min. They will crisp up as they cool.
- In a large pan, preheat a drizzle of olive oil over medium high heat. Add the shallot/onion and red bell pepper and cook for 5-7 min, until very soft. Add the garlic, spices, chipotle peppers in adobo and cook for 1-2 min, stirring frequently.
- Add the tomato puree, black beans, and 1/4 cup of water. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 4-5 minutes, until thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Add the tortilla chips to the pan with the black beans and use a spatula/your hands to coat the chips lightly. I kept some unsauced to preserve a bit of crunch.
- Serve the mess of chips on individual plates, or a big sharing platter. Top with a drizzle of yogurt, feta cheese, hot sauce and cilantro. Eat right away.
Albert Bevia says
This truly looks incredible, like I could eat 3 bowls of this stuff! plus black beans are so healthy for you, love this idea!
Meredith | Earth & Oven says
Hey Albert – thank you so much! Heck yes, any encouragement to get some more beans into our diets is good I think 😉
Ursula | lilvienna.com says
Oh, I would love to have that bowl right now ❤ Great picture!!!
Meredith | Earth & Oven says
Hi Ursula, thank you my dear!!