If there’s one dish that can bring a taste of authentic Mexican cuisine to your breakfast or brunch table, it’s chilaquiles. This traditional dish, which often finds its way into the comfort food category, is a brilliant way to transform simple ingredients into a feast for the senses. The best chilaquiles you’ll ever make starts with the holy trinity of Mexican cooking: corn, chilies, and beans. Here’s how to bring this all together.

Firstly, sourcing fresh, quality ingredients is paramount. Begin with corn tortillas, slightly stale or dried out so they can soak up the sauce without losing their texture completely. For the sauce, opt for either red or green salsa, depending on your preference for sweetness or tang. Blend tomatoes or tomatillos with garlic, onion, cilantro, and your choice of chilies–from the mild poblano to the fiery serrano.

As important as the sauce is the method of how you coat and cook your tortillas in it. The trick is to quickly fry them first in hot oil before dipping them in salsa. This step ensures that they start crisping up and getting their edges browned before they bathe in the rich sauce. After they are nicely covered in salsa, let them simmer just long enough to soften them a bit while still retaining their structure.

Toppings turn chilaquiles from good to great. Scatter over crumbled queso fresco or cotija cheese for saltiness, spoonfuls of crema for creaminess, thinly sliced red onion for sharpness, and finish with avocado slices for butteriness and chopped cilantro for freshness.

However, what truly sets apart the best chilaquiles you’ll ever make is a perfectly runny egg on top. Whether poached or fried so the yolk oozes over everything when you dig in–it’s non-negotiable.

Serve this immediately while it’s piping hot and enjoy what can only be described as hot salsa magic intermingling with earthy tortillas and melty cheese–all kissed by that perfect yolk.

To sum up, making the best chilaquiles involves freshness of ingredients, mastering the quick-fry technique, simmering to perfection while maintaining texture, and serving them up with an array of toppings that add contrast in flavors and textures. Add that final touch with an egg on top and you’re not just making chilaquiles—you’re creating an experience.