It was always an exciting night when I walked into the kitchen and saw the giant sheet pan of golden fried corn tortillas resting on the stove, with my mom poking the future chalupas around her electric skillet full of bubbling oil. I knew that soon they would be smeared with refried beans, ground beef, and topped with cheese. She would then broil them in the oven until the cheese melted and became delectably gooey. For our family of six, this whole ordeal required an incredible amount of cheese. We would constantly duck under my mom’s swat to sneak handfuls of grated cheese from the enormous cake cover she’d grated pounds of cheese into. We could then top our chalupas with shredded iceburg, salsa (using our special long handled “salsa spoons”), diced tomatoes, globs of cool sour cream, and pickled jalapenos. Now that I am an adult, I am slowly realizing the herculean effort my mom regularly went to, solely to ensure we were fed delicious food.

Flash forward to adulthood. I am walking around the Whole Foods buffet, very pregnant, and starving. I see this thing labeled “Breakfast Chalupa”, and I know I have to try it. The sudden smell of corn oil cooking in my mom’s kitchen is so strong in my mind that I am filled with a sense of anticipation. I should have known better. No offense to the Whole Foods buffet, but chalupas are not meant to sit around. The best part about them is that the under layer of corn tortilla is crispy, while the top layer is soft from the refried beans. It’s the differing textures, the saltiness mixed with the sweetness of the tomatoes, the spice of the salsa, and the creaminess from the cheese and sour cream. I knew I needed to recreate this genius idea at home with a freshly fried tortilla.

I don’t remember what the let down chalupa had on it, but I decided to make a gluten free enchilada sauce to go on my version. It would be a masterpiece of crispy fried tortilla, homemade refried beans, smoky enchilada sauce, bacon, and a fried egg. Ideally with some salsa and guac on the side. In preparation, I made the refried beans in my crock pot a few days before. This could easily be made with canned refried beans and canned enchilada sauce (if you aren’t gluten free), which would make it much easier to execute. If you are choosing between making one of those two, I recommend homemade enchilada sauce. Canned refried beans are perfectly acceptable and delicious.

Breakfast Chalupas

Ingredients

12 corn tortillas

neutral oil for frying

1 can refried beans or my Instant Pot Refried Beans

12 slices of bacon

12 eggs

1/3 recipe Gluten Free Enchilada Sauce (or 1 can store bought sauce-if not gluten free)

Optional ingredients for serving: guacamole, salsa

Instructions

1. Prepare gluten free enchilada sauce. Can be done three days in advance, or prepared and frozen until needed. Or warm store-bought enchilada sauce.
2. In a large, heavy bottomed pot or skillet, heat 1-2 inches oil until it starts to shimmer. Add tortillas one at a time, giving space for them to fry separately. Once they are golden, flip and cook the other side. You want them pretty crispy. Chewier tortillas make for difficult to eat chalupas.
3. Warm the refried beans and enchilada sauce in a small saucepan.
4. Fry eggs to desired doneness.
5. Cook bacon.
6. Spread beans on a crispy tortilla, add slice of bacon, drizzle with enchilada sauce, and top with egg.
7. Serve with guacamole and salsa. And plentiful napkins.