Chilaquiles

This chilaquiles recipe is the blueprint for one of my favorite comfort foods. It’s a great way to use up tortillas (or tortilla chips) that are past their optimal freshness.

This one-skillet meal is ideal for both chilly evenings and weekend mornings when hot melted cheese and comfort is all you want. Leave a handful of chips undressed to tuck into the skillet at the last minute. Their salsa-free points add the perfect layer of crunch.

Stock your fridge with salsa, eggs, and cheese, and keep a bag of day-old tortillas chips around to instantly throw together this filling, comforting, sobering meal.

If you've got both a camp stove and a grill, you're golden: Prep the salsa over the live fire, and make perfect eggs on the propane stove.

This Mexican dish of tortilla chips smothered in chile sauce is just as good for dinner as it is for breakfast. If you don't want to make your own chips, substitute your favorite brand, but don't skimp on the garnishes; they add color and freshness.

A wonderful brunch dish, often served for breakfast in Mexico as a way to use up the previous day’s leftovers. But the combination of crunchy tortillas, spicy tomato sauce, and melted cheese is so irresistible you’ll want to make it just for its own sake. If you do not want to fry the tortillas, you can either bake them until quite crisp—this will take 15 minutes or so—or simply substitute unsalted (or lightly salted) corn tortilla chips.

This recipe is based on a Mexican dish created to use up leftovers. For an authentic touch, use fresh Mexican cheese (queso fresco) or aged (queso añejo) in place of feta. Look for both in specialty food stores and Mexican markets.

Several years ago, I took a culinary tour of Oaxaca, Mexico, run by my dear friend nancy Zaslavsky. While I knew I was in for some great food, I don’t think anything could have prepared me for the incredible marriage of flavors I found one morning in a bubbling hot cauldron of chilaquiles. I’ve used the memory of that momentous meal as inspiration for a Sriracha-tinged version that may not classify as traditional per se, but you know damn well it’s going to be delicious!.

Chilaquiles is a classic Southwestern casserole made from crumbled tortillas, tomato sauce, and cheese. Here, its savory flavors are augmented with black beans and zucchini.

Chilaquiles are a traditional Mexican peasant dish of fried tortillas bathed in green or red salsa (depending on the region) until tender. Slightly tart green tomatillo sauce is preferred in Mexico City, Jimmy Shaw's hometown, and is very simple to make. Chilaquiles are most commonly eaten at breakfast time (not uncommonly as a hangover cure). Unlike nachos, chilaquiles are a meal to be eaten with a fork. Nothing is wasted in the Mexican home, so this dish was born as a clever way to revive yesterday's tortillas and leftover salsa. At ¡Lotería! you can ask for chilaquiles to be topped with a fried egg, frijoles negros, or shredded chicken or beef. If frying your own tortilla chips seems too involved (I recommend you try it, though—it's really very easy!), as a shortcut, this dish can be made with store-bought tortilla chips, but choose an unsalted variety.

Though you may not be familiar with the name, chilaquiles are the forebears of modern nachos. But the abundance of fresh, flavorful toppings—cool cilantro, salty queso fresco, crisp red onion—makes even the most fluorescent "nacho cheese" seem colorless.

This tortilla casserole is a great holiday dish to prepare when you want to use up leftovers. Miguel uses shredded leftover turkey as well as whatever vegetables remain from the holiday feast. It is a reliable dish for brunches or luncheons, paired with a seasonal salad. The tangy tomatillo sauce in this dish can also be used in recipes for other chilaquiles as well as Enchiladas Verdes. Though often referred to as "green tomatoes," tomatillos are members of the gooseberry family.

This is a soft-style version of chilaquiles, tortilla chips sautéed with chiles and meat and topped with melted cheese. Crema mexicana, a cultured Mexican cream, is available in the cheese and deli section of many supermarkets and at Latin markets.

This dish was the surprise of the year. The ingredients might seem ordinary, but trust us — it's fantastic.

This dish is a twist on chilaquiles, a tortilla-based hash. It's great served with salsa for breakfast.