Gourmet Croque Madame Chilaquiles (Mexican - French) Recipe

Make Chilaquiles gourmet with this fun mashup between a classic Croque Madame recipe and Mexican Chilaquiles! Made with homemade tortilla chips, creamy Mornay sauce, crispy ham, and runny fried eggs!

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Croque Madame meets Chilaquiles in this fun brunch recipe!

This gourmet chilaquiles recipe take the French classic Croque Madame (the ultimate ham sandwich) and blends it with a popular Mexican brunch dish: Chilaquiles.

This mashup dish is made with homemade tortilla chips tossed in a creamy white sauce, topped with gruyere cheese, crispy ham, runny eggs, and plenty of fresh chives! This shareable breakfast takes most of it's characteristics from the French hot sandwich. The only difference? Tasty, homemade fried tortilla chips!

These Croque Madame Chilaquiles are a fun weekend brunch treat for your taste buds that's a great way to use up some slightly stale corn tortillas, or that leftover ham you're not sure what to do with! 

Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make this fun mashup between a classic Croque Madame sandwich and Mexican Chilaquiles:

• Corn tortillas, for making homemade crispy tortilla chips!
• Vegetable or avocado oil, for frying.
• Sliced deli ham, cut Into thin lengthwise strips. You can use any savory ham you like. I love deli Ham Off the Bone, or Black Forest Ham.
• Unsalted butter. You'll use butter to crisp the ham, make the Mornay Sauce, and to fry eggs to top the Chilaquiles.
• All-purpose flour, for building a creamy béchamel sauce (the foundation of the Mornay sauce).
• Whole milk. This will serve as the base for the Mornay Sauce.
• Grated Gruyère cheese. I highly recommend grating your own for best results. You'll use this in the sauce, as well as melt some additional on top of the finished Chilaquiles.
• Kosher salt, for seasoning the chips and the sauce.
• Freshly ground black pepper, for the sauce. (I also love to grind some over my finished fried eggs!)
• Freshly grated nutmeg. Believe me when I tell you it's WAY better tasting than the ground stuff. You can use a Microplane and grate it right into the pan!
• Dijon mustard. I love Grey Poupon Country Dijon.
• Eggs. You'll fry these to your desired doneness, and top the Chilaquiles just before serving. I love a sunny side up (runny fried egg ) for this, to keep close to a traditional Croque Madame. Who doesn't love a runny yolk?!
• Fresh chives, for garnishing, and a pop of fresh herby flavor.

How to make the Homemade Crispy Tortilla Chips

1. In a large oven safe skillet, heat oil over medium high for 1-2 minutes, until shimmering. 
2. Fry chips in batches (do not overcrowd the pan) for 1-2 minutes, flipping once, until golden brown.
3. Transfer to a wire rack or paper towel lined plate with tongs or a slotted spoon to drain, and immediately season with salt. Repeat until all chips are fried. 

Making the Crispy Ham

1. Remove any excess oil from the pan after frying the chips, and carefully clean out pan with paper towels. 
2. Add 2 tablespoon butter to the pan (reserve other 2 tablespoon for sauce), over medium heat, and add sliced ham. Cook 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally until lightly browned and crisp. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain and set aside. 

How to make the Mornay Sauce

1. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the pan over medium heat until foamy and melted. Whisk in flour and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is lightly golden, about 1 minute.
2. Reduce heat to low and gradually whisk in milk (to prevent lumps) until smooth.
3. Cook, whisking often, until thickened, about 3 minutes. 
4. Remove pan from the heat. Add ½ of the gruyere cheese, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and Dijon mustard. Whisk to combine. 

Assembling the Croque Madame Chilaquiles

1. Add cooled and drained chips to the pan with the Mornay sauce, and carefully toss until all chips are well coated. 
2. Top coated chips with remaining gruyere cheese and crisped ham, and bake chilaquiles for 5-6 minutes at 350 until cheese is just melted. 
3. While the cheese melts in the oven, fry eggs in a separate nonstick pan in additional butter to desired doneness. (see recipe card below for full instructions and ingredients list).

What is a Croque Madame?

Croque Madame is a French-style ham and cheese sandwich. The sister of the Croque Monsieur, the sandwich consists of toasted bread slices, a creamy Mornay Sauce Made with a roux, milk, nutty gruyère cheese, and dijon mustard, and slices of ham, all topped with a fried egg. 

This iconic combo is popular at many Brunch restaurants, and is an elegant, decadent and delicious treat!

What is Chilaquiles?

Chilaquiles is a delicious Mexican breakfast dish, made with tortilla chips simmered in salsa. Some popular toppings are cheese (like queso fresco or cotija cheese), eggs, black beans, and other garnishes, such as crema fresca, crème fraîche, sour cream, or fresh lime juice. 

Chilaquiles can be made with red salsa (salsa roja) or green salsa (chilaquiles verdes) and are a popular and customizable dish. The best chilaquiles (in my humble opinion) are made with homemade chips.

Tools

• A deep skillet that is oven safe, such as a stainless steel frying pan or cast iron pan. 
• A wire rack and baking sheet, or paper towel lined plates.
• A good nonstick skillet, for cooking your eggs.

Substitutions and Additions

This Gourmet Croque Madame Chilaquiles recipe is easily adapted to work with your personal preferences, as well as what you have on hand in your refrigerator and pantry. Here are some great swaps and additions you can use to make this recipe your own:

• In a pinch, you could use store bought tortilla chips. Be sure to use a sturdy, crunchy chip!
• Add a dash of cayenne pepper to your Mornay sauce for a little kick!
• For a lighter sauce, use half chicken stock and half milk.
• Add a bit of crumbled cotija cheese to really tie in the Mexican aspect of this dish!
• Swap the gruyere for parmesan cheese or sharp cheddar cheese. 
• Make your sauce in a small saucepan instead, and toss with the chips in a large bowl to coat, then transfer to a sheet pan or oven safe pan to bake with the gruyere.
• Use leftover baked ham in place of the deli ham slices. Just be sure to cut it into bite sized pieces. 
• Try some toasted crusty bread in place of the tortilla chips. 

More great brunch recipes!

if you love this Gourmet Croque Madame Chilaquiles recipe, you'll love these fun brunch recipes, too!

• Huevos Rancheros Breakfast Skillet
• Tex Mex Migas
• Chorizo Sausage Gravy and Scallion Cheddar Biscuits
• Cajun Shrimp and Andouille Frittata

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