Breakfast Adventures: Huevos Rancheros with Friends!

My sweet friend plus her family, former Nashvillians who have moved north, were visiting in Nashville and I jumped at the chance to get some time with them where I didn't have to share with the hoards of other people who love them.  Since she is food blogger and I know she and her husband (to say nothing of their sweet babes) love some good food, I invited them to both eat and cook with us.

Today's recipe was Huevos Rancheros.  I know there are some variations on this, but we are sticking with the recipe in the cookbook, so instead of fried and served on a tortilla with a tomato concoction on top, these were actually poached IN the tomato concoction and served with the tomato concoction on top.  And cheese.  Because when is there ever not cheese.  I'm getting to be pretty handy with the egg poaching, by the way.  It was pretty intimidating the first time I tried it, but now...I got this!

With help, of course.

Cora rinsed the chilis.

Judah attempted to open the can of diced tomatoes. 

Yes.  A can.  I'm just following directions here, people.  Pretend I canned these last fall, if you want.  That's more "East Nashville" than a good ol' store brand can of tomatoes.  The cool/hipster/urban farmer kind of East Nashville anyways.  Pretty sure the lovely folks who are being gentrified out of their post WWII shoe box size homes would use a can of tomatoes.  This is a hot topic around here as the developers move in and demolish homes in my neighborhood to slap up giant houses.  I digress...Besides, I got 8 people to feed!  (today, anyway) Priorities, people.  Priorities. 

Even Matt jumped in when the butter (for the onions) threatened to burn, nd he wasn't even going to eat these!  (He doesn't like cooked tomatoes) That's my man, y'all!

Cora helped keep Peter distracted as he emptied out the pantry and she put it back again....

 

...as we got the tomato concoction to this stage and awaited our guests.

Then it was hurry up and make the grub!  Served on crispy corn tortillas with the tomato mixture on top, plus some Montery Jack cheese on top, with avocados on the side.

Sweet children, eating up their breakfasts.

So my friend's hubs doesn't do eggs, Matt doesn't do cooked tomatoes, but the rest of us, even one of the babies (the other one was napping) ate the heck out of these.  If we are going by stars to # of eaters, I would say this is a 6 Star recipe, but for my family, it's just a 4 Star.

No final plate picture.  We were having too much fun over breakfast.

These two are old pals and fell right back into their way of being together.  Cora the boss leader and L goodnaturedly going along with whatever plan she came up with, because he is so very sweet. (by the by, I love how she is so effortlessly lovely.  How does she do that? Where does she get that from?)

A final farewell to sweet friends, the McDonnell family, as they head off to a final Nashville adventure before heading north.  We miss you guys!