Brunch Enchiladas And Lazy Breakfasts

I love a savory breakfast.

I mean...don't get me wrong.  I enjoy a few bites of syrupy pancake, french toast, maybe a jelly-filled donut, a stuffed crepe, a sticky bun...

Just in small quantities.

Nope, my breakfast weakness comes more in the form of savory dishes like Eggs Benedict (I like creative takes- check out my Tomatillo and Shredded Pork version!), quiche, crispy hash browns, and stratas.

Stratas tend to be my go-to breakfast dish when we have company visiting because I can do all of the prep work either before they arrive or at night before we all go to bed so everything just needs to be popped in the oven when I wake up in the morning.  I get to serve something more interesting than cereal with essentially no work when I'm just rolling out of bed and don't really feel like going full steam ahead into hostess mode.

These Brunch Enchiladas are essentially a strata- though admittedly they lack bread which is kind of what makes a strata a strata, isn't it?

This dish uses tortillas instead.  Yet it still sits in the fridge covered in eggs overnight.

Can a strata still be a strata without bread?

We're just going to go ahead and say "yes" no matter what the real answer is.

So anyway, these are made pretty much like any other enchilada, just with slightly different, more breakfast-y ingredients.  Tortillas are wrapped around chopped ham, cheese, and sliced green onion before being placed in the pan and being topped with a seasoned mixture of green chiles, eggs, and cheese.

Then they sit.  Just walk away and leave them overnight.

When you wake up pop them in the fridge and enjoy an incredibly satisfying, flavorful meal that feels like you spent so much more time on it than you did- because really you spent like no time on it at all.

That morning, at least.

Nope, you've been sitting there on the couch, feet kicked up, sipping your coffee, glasses on, hair piled on top of your head, makeup-free.

Maybe that's just me.

Possibly not having to make an elaborate meal for your guests gave you the time to hop in the shower and look beautiful and perfectly pulled together by the time everyone was ready to eat.
Whatever, you overachiever. ;-)

However you choose to spend that extra time in the morning, just know that you're going to have absolutely zero work to do from the time you pop the pan in the oven until that oven timer goes off and one tasty meal waiting for you to enjoy in the end! 

Brunch Enchiladas

Modified from Allrecipes.com

1 pound cooked ham, chopped

3/4 C sliced green onions

3 C shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

10 (7") flour tortillas

5 eggs, beaten

1 3/4 C half-and-half cream

2 (4 oz) cans green chiles

1 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce (such as Valentina)

1/4 tsp cayenne

If desired, serve with salsa, guacamole, sour cream, or diced tomatoes.

1. Spoon 1/3 cup of ham, 3 tablespoons shredded cheese, and sprinkle of green onion onto each tortilla, then roll up. Carefully place filled tortillas, seam side down, in a greased 9x13 baking dish.

2. In a medium bowl, mix together eggs, half-and-half, green chiles  flour, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, cumin, salt, hot pepper sauce, and cayenne. Pour egg mixture over tortillas. Cover, and refrigerate overnight.

3. The next morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).  Bake, uncovered, in preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until set. Sprinkle casserole with remaining 1 cup shredded cheese. Bake about 3 minutes more, or until cheese melts. Let stand a least 10 minutes before serving.