CLICK HERE for Recipe #1 and HERE for Recipe #2

For Asher’s birthday this year, we decided to make a brunch feast. It was delicious! We love breakfast food and this was a special but simple-to-cook-together menu.  Enough to have lots of hands working together but not too complex or stressful of a menu. 

The Menu:

Chilaquiles Egg Bake

Bacon

Fresh Fruit

Coffee & Cranberry Orange Juice Spritzers

Grilled Chocolate Sandwiches for dessert

These Chilaquiles were first enjoyed during a holiday brunch with Rich and Gretchen. They always bring creative breakfast food ideas to the table. It’s a fun dish because it’s out of the ordinary, but not too odd and thus a crowd-pleaser.  We decided to make 2 batches because we have big eaters at our house!

The Chocolate Sandwiches were my suggestion, because I had saved the recipe out of Every Day Food by Martha Stewart a decade ago and had never tried it but had always wanted to.  The combination was delicious!

Chilaquiles Egg Bake

By Martha Stewart

3 cans (10 ounces each) diced tomatoes and chiles, such as mild Ro-Tel – regular if you want more heat

1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

2 large cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbsp.)

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

4 cups thick tortilla chips (4 1/2 ounces)

4 large eggs

Toppings: 1/4 cup crumbled queso fresco, plus more for serving

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a food processor, puree 1 can tomatoes and chiles. Heat oil in a 9-inch heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until just golden, about 45 seconds. Add puree and remaining 2 cans tomatoes and chiles. Bring to a boil; cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is slightly reduced, 5 minutes.

Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in tortilla chips to coat, breaking some up.

Make a well in sauce with the back of a large spoon; crack 1 egg into it.

Repeat with remaining 3 eggs. Season eggs with salt and pepper. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until whites are set and yolks are just barely set, about 11 minutes.

Top with cheese and cilantro; serve with more cheese.

While the Chilaquiles were baking, we prepped the Grilled Chocolate Sandwiches (Chocolate French Toast). 

Grilled Chocolate Sandwiches

also borrowed from Martha Stewart– from her Everyday Food magazine

2 large eggs

2 Tbsp. milk

4 large slices challah (or we used brioche because Challah wasn’t available)- cut 3/4 inch thick; cut in half

4 ozs. thin semisweet chocolate bar

2 Tbsp. butter

Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

 In a large, shallow dish, whisk together eggs and milk; set aside.

Form two sandwiches with the bread and chocolate (break chocolate as necessary to cover bread without extending over edges- or break into little bars and line up with an ½ inch of space between them).

Dip both sides of sandwiches in egg mixture to coat.

Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat; transfer sandwiches to skillet.

Cook, pressing occasionally with a spatula, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes per side.

Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.

Dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving.

My take-aways from the Chocolate Toast were: a little melted dark chocolate goes a long way. It seemed like a skimpy amount of chocolate that we were putting on the sandwiches, but they were super rich! I might do a little less- and break pieces and line them up in a little row on the bread rather than side by side. 

They were really good cooled a little, because when warm, the chocolate being warm and melty dominated the flavor.  

We think some sliced bananas or strawberries would be an amazing addition. We tried tucking in some bananas with our leftover french toast and it was super tasty! 

Find a reason to make this Chilaquiles Egg Bake (Delicioso!) and these Chocolate Sandwiches (C’est Bon!) !!