For something different to break up the brunch monotony. For your gluten-free guests. For when you need to cook for a tribe on a budget.

Chilaquiles.

You want to make chilaquiles. I know you do.

Consisting of fried corn tortillas, cheese and salsa, this Mexican breakfast can be — and often is — fortified with the crack of an egg.

It’s cheap (my grocery bill for this recipe was under $20) and quick to make (under 20 minutes).

Many maize dishes on your gourmet getaway can be challenging to replicate because good masa is hard to come by (or expensive) in some areas.

But you can master chila­quiles. Stale and day-old tortilla scraps are meant for chilaquiles. Like fried rice, this dish is born out of leftovers.

I’m about to show you: the. best. chilaquiles. recipe. ever. It comes from Gabriel Chavez, who once ran the critically acclaimed Chavez Mexican restaurant on Seattle’s Capitol Hill.

Chavez, a proud born-and-bred native of Durango, Mexico, uses two staples (mozzarella and olive oil) that you’re more likely to find in an Italian kitchen (he is also executive chef at Seattle’s Cantinetta Italian restaurant.)

With other recipes for chila­quiles, I’d sneak in a dose of MSG to give the sauce a little oomph. I don’t need to with this version. Chavez’s two tweaks, olive oil and mozzarella cheese, amount to a double dose of umami for that same pop of savoriness.

Now, a word about how this dish should be served, as its sudden popularity has created much discussion over presentation and authenticity.

I usually see it served with just a fried egg in Mexico. In fact, I’ve heard that scrambled eggs are a no-no and that only a sunny side egg can sit atop chilaquiles.

Pay these so-called purists no mind.

America is a melting pot. We incorporate dishes of our homelands to the seasonal ingredients available in our produce aisle. Our recipes are reinterpreted and evolve all the time.

Seattle’s most famous chef, Tom Douglas, fancies up chilaquiles with king crab at Etta’s by Pike Place Market. Jack’s BBQ, also in Seattle, serves the dish with a barbecued chicken breast.

In other words, just roll with it.

GOOD OLIVE oil really makes this dish sing. I use a tad more than the recipe calls for, and my chips glisten. Corn tor­tillas work better than store-bought chips for this dish. And remember to buy corn, not flour, tortillas. Also, many recipes call for crema (a light sour cream). I don’t think you need it, as the yolk creates lusciousness on its own. I would serve two fried eggs for each serving.

CHILAQUILES VERDES

By Gabriel Chavez

• 1/4 cup of olive oil, or more as needed
• 16 corn tortillas, cut into chip-size or bite-sized pieces
• 1 diced shallot or onion
• 3 ounces of grated mozzarella cheese
• 3 ounces of queso fresco (fresh Mexican-style cheese, sold in many supermarkets)
• >> Tomatillo sauce:
• 10 tomatillos
• 1 jalapeno pepper
• 1 bunch cilantro (stems only)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Salt, to taste

>> To make sauce: Remove husks from tomatillos, rinse and drop them whole into a pot of water. Add whole jalapeno to pot and bring to boil over high heat. Boil 2 minutes then remove tomatillos and jalapeno to a blender.

Add cilantro stems; puree until smooth.

Add sugar. Blend on high. Taste and season with salt.

Add olive oil to a skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add tortillas and fry, constantly turning and adding more oil as needed. Sprinkle with a couple pinches of salt.

When tortillas are golden brown, turn heat to medium. Leave some or all of oil in pan and add tomatillo sauce; turning tortillas to coat in sauce. Add shallots and mozzarella. Continue to stir all ingredients until mozzarella starts to melt.

Serve with crumbled queso fresco on top. Serves 4.

>> Optional additions: A fried egg. Or chicken and sour cream. Leftover rotisserie chicken from the supermarket works great as well.

Nutritional information unavailable.