Huevos Rancheros

Huevos Rancheros

Huevos Rancheros make a tasty brunch item after a late night like New Years Eve. The salsa, refried beans, the toasted tortilla shells and the lime crema all can be made the day before so putting them together New Years Day is easy and stress free. It is just a matter of re-heating the salsa and floating the eggs on top then pop it in the oven for 10 minutes. Reheat the refried beans while the eggs are in the oven, then it is just a matter of putting them together. This works well for a crowd. If you double the recipe, just use a 9 x 13 baking dish instead of a sauté pan to cook the salsa eggs. You can go mild or hot depending on your guests. I left one half of a jalapeno with seeds which made my salsa just slightly spicy. Cooked jalapenos are much milder than fresh so keep that in mind when you decide on how much seed should be left in the jalapenos. These are a big hit with my teenagers who love Mexican food.

Toasted Tortilla Shells

8 each 6” flour tortillas

Cooking Spray

Salt to taste

Inverted muffin pan

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray and salt both sides of the tortillas. Place them between the muffin cups on the back side of a muffin pan. See picture. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly brown. Let cool for a few minutes then remove from muffin pan. When completely cooled, store in an airtight container until ready to use.

Roasted Salsa

8 large Roma tomatoes, cored

1 medium Spanish onion, peeled and quartered

2 large jalapenos, stemmed, cut in half with some seeds

3 large garlic cloves, peeled

Kosher salt to taste

½ cup of cilantro, finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. On a sheet pan lined with foil spray with cooking spray. Add the tomatoes, onion quarters, jalapeno halves and garlic cloves. Roast for 45 minutes turning them over half way through. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Add the roasted tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, and garlic cloves to a blender and coarsely chop. Salt to taste and fold in the cilantro. Can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Reheat on low heat in a sauté pan.

Refried Beans

15oz can of Pinto Beans seasoned with pork (Luck’s brand)

½ large jalapeno with seeds, finely chopped

½ cup of onion, finely chopped

½ teaspoon of chili powder

3 Tablespoons of bacon grease

In a large sauté pan, heat the bacon grease on medium heat. Add the onions, jalapenos, and chili powder. Sauté until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the pinto beans and mash with a potato masher until coarsely mashed. Cook until heated through. Can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Reheat on low heat in a sauté pan.

Lime Crema

½ cup of sour cream

½ lime juiced

In small bowl stir the sour cream and lime together. Pour into a small Ziploc bag and store in the refrigerator. When ready to use snip a very small hole in the corner with a pair of scissors. Squeeze the bag and zig zag the crema over the cooked eggs.

Huevos Rancheros Assembly

8 large eggs

1 recipe of salsa

1 recipe of refried beans

1 recipe of toasted tortilla shells

1 recipe of lime crema

2 Tablespooons of chopped cilantro

Black Pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large sauté pan heat the salsa on medium heat. Once the salsa is hot, crack the eggs over the top and place in the oven for 8-10 minutes or until desired doneness. While the eggs are in the oven, reheat the refried beans in a large sauté pan on medium heat. If it is too thick add a little chicken stock. Once the eggs are cooked, remove from the oven. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of refried beans in each toasted tortilla shell. Using a large serving spoon, scoop out each egg with salsa and place on each tortilla shell. Top with the lime crema, chopped cilantro and black pepper. Serve immediately.

Serves 8