Breakfast Nachos?

Okay, Dirt readers, I know we have all been through it these last months. If you are working from home, as I am, the days can feel like one long day that lasts a week. So why not mix it all up and have nachos for breakfast? This dish makes me so happy. I don’t eat meat, but feel free to sprinkle on some bacon or sausage, whatever your taste buds are craving. Make sure you have all the fixins handy too. This recipe is sure to turn a black and white morning technicolor in no time.

This recipe feeds 4
Multiply away for a larger batch

Ingredients
3 tbsp olive or avocado oil
1 onion, chopped fine
1 bell pepper, chopped fine
1 small jalepeno pepper, chopped fine
7-8 large mushrooms, chopped fine
1 large handful of kale or cabbage, chopped fine
½ cup grated cheddar cheese
4 eggs
Store bought or homemade salsa (chopped tomatoes, onions, cilantro and lime juice)
Store bought or homemade queso (white cheese, milk, jalepeno peppers microwaved until smooth)
Salt and pepper
Crushed red pepper
Chopped fresh cilantro
Bag of blue or white tortilla chips

Method
Preheat your oven broiler or toaster oven broiler to high while you work on the vegetables. The secret to this recipe is a cast iron pan. I like to caramelize the vegetables to make them rich and flavorful. Heat the pan on low. Add oil and then onions and salt, and sauté until light brown. Add jalepeno, green pepper, mushroom and kale. Salt and pepper generously, then turn the flame up as high as it will go. Continue to sauté, letting vegetables sizzle in the pan from time to time to brown, but keep them moving so that they don’t stick. Add a bit of oil if needed. After about 12–15 minutes, the vegetables should be deeply browned and flavorful.

Transfer vegetables to a nonstick baking sheet (or tin foil sheet) and spread cheese over them. Broil briefly until cheese is melted and dripping. In the meantime, clean up your cast iron by brushing off the veggie bits and heating on highest flame. Add a bit of oil and crack eggs, trying your best not to break the yolks. Let the egg bottoms brown deeply while cooking the yolk to your preference. I like a running yolk to add to the sauce of the nachos.

Finally, plate them up. Put tortilla chips on the bottom of a large plate, and with a spatula transfer the vegetables with melted cheese. Top with eggs, salsa and queso. Sprinkle with cilantro and enjoy.

P.S. I eat this with a streak knife to cut through the yummy fried egg.