Sometimes you wake up and all you want is mexi-breakfast – cheesy, eggy, salsa’y goodness. This is the perfect all-in-one homemade breakfast that will satisfy all of your cravings (hungover or not).

 

The extra steps are worth it here – making your own tortilla strips, putting all of the ranchero ingredients in the blender, and transferring the cast iron from stove to broiler for an awesome cheesy top layer. The lime cream sauce also goes perfectly with everything!

Recipe
Baked Ranchero Eggs 
adapted from the Smitten Kitchen Cookbook
Serves 6

Ranchero Sauce:

• 1 (28 oz.) can whole fire roasted tomatoes
• 1 medium white onion, roughly chopped
• 1 jalapeño, roughly chopped
• 1 large garlic clove, crushed and peeled
• 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• several pinches salt and pepper
• 1 cup sliced black olives

Crisp Tortilla Chips:

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 4 small (6 inch) corn tortillas, cut into strips
• salt

Remaining Ingredients:

• 8 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups shredded pepper jack, cheddar, or mozzarella cheese (or a mix!)
• 1 cup sour cream
• juice of 1 lime
• handful of fresh cilantro

Preheat your oven to 450°.

Add the tomatoes, onion, garlic, jalapeño, salt and pepper to your blender, and blend until smooth. Pour sauce into a 12 inch cast iron or oven-proof skillet and add in black beans and black olives. Bring to a simmer and let cook for 10-15 minutes until sauce has slightly reduced.

Meanwhile brush a baking sheet with olive oil. Place the tortilla strips in a single layer and brush with the rest of the olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Baked for 4-6 minutes until crispy and golden brown. Remove from oven and preheat broiler.

Make the crema: In a separate bowl mix together the sour cream, juice of one lime, pinch of salt and some chopped cilantro. Set aside.

Once the sauce has thickened, remove from the heat. Using the back of a spoon, make 8 evenly distributed round wells into the sauce mixture. Crack the eggs individually into each well. This will help the eggs cook a little faster than cracking the eggs right on top of the ranchero sauce.  Return to heat, cover pan, and simmer for about 10-12 minutes, until the whites are nearly but not completely opaque. Sprinkle the surface with the cheese and place plan under broiler for 2-3 minutes, just until cheese is blistered and bubbly.

Garnish with dollops of crema, broken pieces of tortilla, and fresh cilantro.