Peppers are in abundance at my Farmers Market – and there are so many colorful new varieties that I want to try them all!
The ones pictured above are Sugar Rush Peach Peppers from my friends at Crouching Hippo – and even a few of them lent quite a bite to my Chilaquiles last week! (The “peachier” they get in color – the hotter they are!)
First of all – if you’re not familiar with Chilaquiles, think of it as a Mexican lasagna – with corn tortillas (or even tortilla chips) serving as a stand-in for the lasagna noodles and salsa subbing for the tomato sauce.
But first you start with the peppers. . .
I used green, orange, red, and yellow sweet bell peppers (who can resist when they are 2 for $1), along with a judicious amount of the very hot Sugar Rush Peach Peppers.
Next, I used organic blue corn tortilla chips for my layers . .
and added protein (and heat!) by chopping up two Field Roast Mexican Chipotle Sausages. (No need to sauté, because they will be baking in the oven.)
A mixture of low fat cream cheese, salsa, egg, and cornstarch peaks out in between the layers, followed by salsa . . .
then cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 35 minutes.
Remove the foil and add shredded sharp white Cheddar or Monterey Jack . . .
. . . raise the oven temp to 375, and bake for another 10-12 minutes.
Let them cool for 10 minutes, while you shred some yellow and green zucchini, and sauté the pretty shreds with garlic and a touch of cumin in olive oil.
Add some ripe avocado cubes, tossed with some lime juice and bit of salt, and I had an easy and colorful supper for my Mexican food-loving hubby.
And the best part in my hubby’s humble opinion? These chilaquiles are great for lunches . . . and keep getting hotter and hotter!
- 1 24-ounce jar salsa (I use a mild salsa - but you do you!)
- ½ -2/3 bag of organic blue corn tortilla chips
- 1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 sweet Vidalia onion, thinly sliced
- 4-5 different kinds of colorful peppers (start with a few sweet bell peppers and supplement them with cubanos, poblanos, and even some Sugar Rush Peach Peppers - if you can find them!)
- 2 8-ounce packages of low-fat cream cheese
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ package of Field Roast Mexican Chipotle Sausages (2 sausages), chopped
- 4 ounces sharp white Cheddar or Monterey Jack, shredded
- 1 organic avocado, chopped and mixed with lime or lemon juice and salt
- Spray a 9" x 13" Pyrex baking dish with cooking spray. Spread about ½ cup of salsa over the bottom, and scatter two handfuls of blue corn chips (crumbled a bit) over the salsa. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Sauté the onion, followed by the peppers. Cook for about 8 -10 minutes.
- While the onions and peppers are cooking, put 1 cup of salsa in a food processor, along with the cream cheese, eggs, and cornstarch. Buzz it until combined, and then use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the food processor bowl - and then buzz again.
- Spread about half of the mixture from the food processor over the corn chips, and then spread the onions and peppers over the cream cheese/egg/salsa layer.
- Sprinkle on another layer of crumbled blue corn tortilla chips. Lightly spread about ½ cup more of salsa over the tortilla chips. Sprinkle on the chopped Field Roast Chipotle sausages.
- Cover with all of the rest of the cream cheese/egg/salsa mixture. Add the remaining crumbled blue corn tortilla chips. Spread the remaining salsa over the top. Cover with aluminum foil and bak for about 35 minutes.
- Remove the foil and sprinkle the Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese over the top. Raise the temperature until 375 and cook for about 10-12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it cool on a trivet or wire rack for about 10 minutes.
- Top each serving with some of the delicious chopped avocado mixture.
- Serve with shredded zucchini, sautéed in olive oil, with garlic, cumin, salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lime or lemon.
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