Huevos Rancheros

If you want the recipes for the Tuna Casserole Throwdown, they can be found at Epicurious and Food and Wine.
The American-style one wasn't bad but it wasn't great either. It actually was bland and as we all know tuna casserole is not exactly known for it's good flavor.
If you make one the way our Mom's did, we the cream of celery soup and cheddar cheese, peas and mushrooms you would probably like that recipe.

The Italian-style one was almost throw-awayable. The oregano overpowered it and the sauce was a jarred Alfredo sauce, yuk. No Italian or Diabetic in their right mind would use a jarred Alfredo Sauce.

I think I have to create one that everyone would think is really good, one without all the cheese and cream.

I like the taste of Italian tuna and would like to actually eat pieces of it in the casserole, not the mush the other tunas become.

An Adult Tuna Casserole, yeah.............that's the ticket.

Maybe when The Nudge is out of town.



October's Monthly menu is finally listed. This was a tough one, in between warm and cool days I never know when I can grill, so I left days and some Saturdays open. If I see a good sale at the market then I will fill in the blanks.

The Nudge's eye went right to the last day.

He loves my homemade manicotti. You have to come back for that recipe. I make crespelles for the pasta part and homemade ricotta for the filling. It really is easy, while making the crespelles, you hang the ricotta to drain. These are so lite you can make a pan for Thanksgiving or Christmas. They are the perfect appetizer for the first course and not fill up too much.

Having never made Huevos Rancheros before, I check out the web to see exactly how they are made. I found that this dish is like macaroni and cheese, everyone has their way of making it depending where you live. I live in an area that has no Mexican or Tex-Mex restaurants so I have no predetermined conceptions on the assembledge of this recipe.

Some call for salsa, in Texas they would behead you for salsa, others say it's not authentic unless you have a side of menudo or a green chile sauce with them. For my first time I went the way of the easiest. Maybe if we like them, I will use both green and red chile sauce. I heard the hatch chile sauce is the best one to use. I suppose I could sprinkle chopped hatch canned chiles over the red sauce???

After looking at a half dozen recipes I decided to do it my way.









My Huevos Rancheros
* 1 recipe chile sauce
* large whole wheat tortilla for each person or 2 small (can use corn also)
* can refried beans
* 2 eggs for each person
* sliced chorizo (optional)
* Manchego Cheese or Monteray Pepper Jack cheese
* canned chopped hatch green chiles (also optional)
* sliced scallions, queso fresca or pepper asiago for finishing

Place one whole wheat tortilla (or 2 corn) in a individual gratin dish.
It can be oval or round.

Spread about 2-3 tbls of the refried beans over each tortilla. Can be generous with the beans.
I used a 1/4 can for each.

This is where you would put the chorizo or green chiles or both, if using.

Spoon 1/2 cup chile sauce next, then the cheese. Make an indent in the cheese for each egg. I decided I would pre-bake NOW.

Heat oven to 400F. Bake, minus the eggs until the cheese starts to melt.
I believe the cheese will hold the eggs from running all over and by pre-baking it will start the cooking faster.

This is where you make a decision on the eggs....fried separately, poached or baked in the gratin. I opted for baking in the sauce.
If frying or poaching, add after totally baking the gratins.

If baking with the beans, break 1 egg into each well, lightly salt & pepper them and grate some cheese over the top (about 1 tablespoon for each egg).

Bake at 400F for 10 minutes. Check for egg doneness. If needs more time I would put them under the broiler for 1 minute.

Remember the gratin will continue to cook once out of the oven.
Grate some Queso Fresca or pepper jack asiago cheese and sprinkle the scallions on top before serving.

Enjoy!!!

The Nudge says this is a keeper but like the Rosti I baked months back, he would prefer the poached eggs. When you bake them the yolks do tend to cook too much before the whites set and we like them over medium in this house.