Chilaquiles Verdes with Baked Tortilla Chips

Ingredients

• corn tortillas
• tablespoon sextra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt or 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt
• teaspoon sextra-virgin olive oil
• cup s(24 ounce s) salsa verde-eitherhomemade** or store-bought***
• tablespoon schopped fresh cilantro
• fried eggs(optional)
• avocado, diced
• 1/3 cup crumbled Cotija, queso fresco or feta cheese
• tablespoon schopped red onion or green onion
• tablespoon schopped cilantro

Instructions

1. To bake the chips: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit with racks in the upper middle and lower middle positions. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper for easy clean up.
2. Brush both sides of each tortilla lightly with oil. Stack the tortillas, 4 at once, and slice them into 8 wedges. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Divide the wedges between the two baking sheets and arrange them evenly across the pans (it’s ok if the chips overlap; they’ll shrink significantly as they bake). Sprinkle half the salt over one pan and half over the other.
3. Bake, swapping the pans on their racks every 5 minutes, until the chips are curling up at the edges and some are starting to turn golden on the edges.
4. This could take as little as 10 minutes.
5. Keep an eye on the top rack especially, as those tend to finish baking first.
6. Once you see the chips on the top rack turn golden on the edges, remove that pan and move the pan on the lower rack up to the top.
7. Bake until those chips start turning golden on the edges, then remove from the oven.
8. Once the chips are out of the oven, warm 2 teaspoons of the olive oil in a large, non reactive (stainless steel, enameled cast iron or non stick) skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Once it’s shimmering, add the salsa verde, being careful to avoid splatters.
9. Raise the heat to medium high and bring the mixture to a simmer, then remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in the tortilla chips and cilantro until all of the chips are lightly coated, then cover and let the mixture rest (off the heat) until the chips have softened slightly, about 2 to 5 minutes.
10. Uncover the pot and add the toppings of your choice, then divide the chilaquiles onto individual plates. The chips will continue softening with time, so chilaquiles are best served promptly (do not re cover the pan to preserve heat; the chips will get far too soggy).