8ounces(2 cups) shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
8large eggs
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper(to taste)
To Serve
1cupsalsa
1avocado(thinly sliced)
½cupsour cream
4scallions(trimmed and sliced; white and green parts)
½cupcilantro leaves
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425 F. Grease a 13 x 9-inch baking dish, or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Place the Black Beans and Rice Mix in a medium-sized saucepan with 2 1/2 cups water and the butter. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat slightly, cover and keep at a simmer for about 20 to 25 minutes, until the rice is tender, making sure to stir occasionally. Remove from the heat, and let stand for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and fluff with a fork, and set aside.
While the Rice and Beans are cooking, prepare the tortillas. Place paper towels on a work surface. Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, and cook the tortillas one at a time, for about 1 to 2 minutes on each side, or until just crisp and browned in spots (they should also start to smell nice and fragrant). As they are cooked, transfer them to paper towels. Add more oil, 1 teaspoon at a time as needed, until all of the tortillas are cooked.
Combine the enchilada sauce with the cumin, garlic powder, and chili powder. Layer half the tortillas in the bottom of the prepared pan, overlapping them to cover the bottom of the pan. Drizzle over half of the enchilada sauce, then sprinkle over half of the cheese. Spread the Black Beans and Rice Mixture over the cheese. Repeat layering the tortillas, enchilada sauce, and cheese.
Use a spoon and your fingers to create 8 evenly spaced little wells, about 1 inch deep, in the top of the casserole, breaking holes through the top layer of tortillas so that the eggs have enough room to sink into their indentations. Crack the eggs carefully into the wells, and season them with salt and pepper.
Bake until the whites of the eggs are set, but the yolks are still loose and runny, about 25 minutes.
Serve the eggs with the salsa, avocado, sour cream, scallions, and cilantro leaves. You can divide everything over the top of the baked casserole, or spoon out individual portions and let everyone top their own plate as they wish.
Notes
The rancheros sauce for this casserole starts with canned enchilada sauce which is a terrific shortcut convenience product, but you can add a bit more kick and flavor with the addition of a few extra ingredients. Or if you're in a rush, just use plain enchilada sauce and skip the addition of cumin, garlic powder, and chili powder (or skip any one of them if you don't have them on hand). The casserole will still be great.
To make this an even heartier casserole, you could add crumbled cooked sausage to the enchilada sauce. You could also use chicken, turkey, pork, chorizo, andouille—whatever sausage your family likes. You could also mix in some cooked corn kernels or sautéed bell pepper.
You can divide the toppings over the whole baked casserole, or spoon out individual portions and let everyone top their own plate as they wish.