Antioxidant Rich Chiliquiles

Have you ever heard of chiliquiles? They are like a yummy Mexican casserole, but this version is lighter and packed full of antioxidants. Its also meat free, but you would never never know it....I promise, just give it a try.

First, gather your ingredients. Most of this you will already have in your pantry/fridge. You will need eggs (1 per person), 2 cups cheddar cheese (low or fat free if you want), 1 can of black beans, 1 can of rotel, 1 can of diced tomatoes, 6-10 corn tortillas, 1 onion, some garlic, 1 can green chilies, cumin, chili powder, oil, cooking  spray, an avocado and a lime.

Cut the tortilla using a pair of scissors and spray them with a good amount of cooking spray. Put them in a 350 degree oven for 5-10 minutes until the get some color and crisp. In the meantime, begin cooking an onion (red, white, whatever you have) and a few cloves of garlic in a tablespoon of olive oil.

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When the onion is cooked through, add the spices, chilies, rotel, tomatoes, and drained beans. Do not drain the tomatoes. Allow the mixture to warm through and let the flavor meld. If you want at this point you can add some more liquid (like chicken stock or beer) and then allow the liquid to cook down, concentrating the flavor. If you have time, this will give the dish more depth of flavor. You can get creative here and add anything that you might have around the house.....bacon comes to mind.....

Next, you are going to pour this mixture on top of the tortillas and layer is with the cheese. This dish goes back into the oven to melt the cheese, it will take about 10 minutes.

While this is baking, use the same dish that you used to cook the tomato and bean mixture to cook up a few eggs. Also, cut up the lime and avocado. Squeeze some of the lime juice onto the avocado to stop it from becoming brown. Also, if you happen to have anything that would make a good garnish, chop it up. We happened to have cherry tomatoes and black olives.

When the cheese is melted, take the baking dish out of the oven. Serve a generous amount of the casserole with one of the eggs and plenty of the garnishes. Enjoy!

Yes, its actually vegetarian (minus the egg)....but shhhhhh, don't tell anyone and they will never know....trust me. This is a hearty and comforting dinner, they will never miss the meat!



Recipe Recap:

6-10 corn tortillas
Cooking Spray
Olive Oil
1 onion
3 cloves of garlic
1 can rotel
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can black beans (drained)
1/8 cup canned green chilies
2 Tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
2 cups cheddar cheese
1 small can black olives
1 avocado
Cherry tomatoes
1 lime
1 egg per person

Cut up the tortillas and spray with cooking spray. Cook in 350 degree for 5-10 minutes. Using 1 tablespoon of olive oil, cook the onion and garlic. Add in the rotel, diced tomatoes, black beans, spices and chilies. Cook for about 10 minutes until all of the ingredients are warm. Pour this mixture on top of tortillas and cover with the cheese. Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes, until the cheese melts. Finally, top with any garnishes you have, as well as an egg any style.