Chilaquiles Con Chorizo

Many years ago I traveled to Cancun with a friend for a little fun and sun. Rather than frequenting the Americanized restaurants on the beach strip, we ate our meals downtown in places frequented by locals. One particular morning, we tried chilaquiles for breakfast and I was in heaven. On returning, I went looking for a recipe to replicate the flavors and this one comes close. Though this recipe makes the dish from scratch, typically these are made largely from leftovers from the night before.

• Ready In: 1 hr 5 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2  cups  tomatillos, husked and chopped
• 1⁄2 cup poblano chiles or 1⁄2 cup  new mexico pepper, roasted and chopped
• 1⁄4 cup yellow onion, minced
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 3⁄4 cup chicken broth or 3⁄4 cup  chicken stock
• 2  tablespoons  whipping cream
• 3  tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced
•  salt and pepper
• 12 -16  stale corn tortillas, thick ones work the best
•  vegetable oil (for frying)
• 1  cup  chorizo sausage, cooked and drained
• 1⁄2 medium onion, sliced in thin rings
• 2  cups monterey jack cheese
•  crema (garnish)

Directions

1. To prepare the sauce, combine tomatillos, chiles, chopped onion, garlic, broth and whipping cream in a medium saucepan and simmer for 10 minutes. (In a pinch, I've substituted the whipping cream for equal parts milk and sour cream.) Add cilantro, salt and pepper. Puree in blender. I like mine to have a little bit of texture.
2. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Cut tortillas into sixths. Add 1/2 inch of oil to skillet over medium heat. Fry tortillas until chewy, but not as crispy as you would for chips. Drain on paper towels.
4. Create a layer of tortillas in a shallow baking dish. Top with half the sauce, chorizo, onion and cheese. Add remaining sauce. Bake 20-25 minutes until the dish is gooey. Serve piping hot with crema as garnish.