BREAKFAST NACHOS with HASH BROWNS "CHIPS" {recipe}

BREAKFAST NACHOS with HASH BROWNS "CHIPS" {recipe}

makes a giant high pile in a cast iron skillet, or a huge, flat baking sheet of Breakfast Nachos, enough for about 6 people, 4 people if everyone tries really hard

Ingredients

canola or other neutral oil for frying
10-12 frozen hash browns patties
tortilla chips, the thick crunchy, restaurant kind
shredded jack cheese
black beans (recipe for black beans here, along with Huevos Rancheros)
cooked spicy chorizo sausage
cooked bacon
3-5 large eggs, fried sunny side up
cotija or feta cheese, crumbled
sliced fresh avocado (or guacamole)
pickled onions
sliced jalapeños
sliced radishes
chopped fresh cilantro

to serve: salsa roja, salsa verde, bottled hot sauce, sour cream or strained yogurt, fresh limes

Directions

Fry the Hash Browns: While the hash brown patties are still frozen, cut each one diagonally (on the bias) into triangles. See photo below for guidance. The hash brown patties I bought were more oblong, so I cut off a small portion of one end to create a square first, the cut diagonally to make triangles. The hash browns have to stay frozen up to the point of frying or they will break apart in the pan.

When all the frozen hash browns are cut and ready, heat about 1-inch of oil in a frying pan with high sides over medium-high heat. Prepare a plate with several layers of paper towels nearby to drain the fried hash browns of oil.

When a small corner from a hash brown patty dropped into the oil starts bubbling, the oil is ready. Place a few of the hash brown triangles in the oil. When the hash brown triangles are golden brown on the underside, after about 4 minutes, turn them over and brown the other side. Remove fried hash browns to paper-towel lined plate and cook the remaining hash browns in the same way.

Assemble the Nachos: Turn on broiler in oven to high.

In a large cast-iron skillet, spread out a single layer of tortilla chips mixed with a few of the hash brown triangles. Top chips and hash browns with a handful of shredded cheese and about half a cup of black beans. Spread another layer of tortilla chips and hash browns, then shredded cheese, and black beans.

If you are using pre-cooked/leftover bacon and chorizo that is cold from the refrigerator, you can add to the nachos now so they warm as the cheese melts in the oven. Just be sure to watch closely so the cooked bacon and sausage don't cook so much more to the point of burning.Otherwise, if the bacon and chorizo are hot, wait, and add them after broiling.

Place skillet under broiler, about 6-8 inches from the heat. Watch carefully, and remove once the top layer of cheese has almost completely melted. It's okay if the chips get toasted on the tips. Ours took about 8 minutes.

While the chips and cheese are broiling, fry the eggs. You can discard the frying oil you used for the has browns, wipe out the frying pan, and use it to fry the eggs.

Remove the cast iron skillet from the oven. If you are using a separate serving plate, slide the chips/hash browns/melted cheese onto it. But why dirty yet another dish? Serve the nachos straight out of the skillet, just be careful, the pan is hot.

Top the nachos with the cooked bacon, chorizo, and additional black beans if you'd like.

Place the fried eggs on top.

Add the crumbled feta or cotija cheese, sliced fresh avocado (or guacamole), pickled onions, sliced jalapeños, sliced radishes, and chopped fresh cilantro.

Serve immediately, with salsas, bottled hot sauce, sour cream/yogurt, and fresh limes.