Ree Drummond's Tex-Mex Topping Upgrades Any Breakfast Casserole

Few dishes are quite as comforting and delicious as a good breakfast casserole. While many, like acclaimed chef Ina Garten, enjoy something simpler like microwaved oatmeal or opt for a breakfast on the sweeter side, there's something about savory dishes that really hits the spot. 

Enhancing your breakfast casserole can make it even more unique and interesting. Ree Drummond of "The Pioneer Woman" recommends upgrading a breakfast casserole by topping it with tortilla chips and cheese for an easy Tex-Mex twist.

These two key ingredients in Drummond's signature Cowboy Breakfast Casserole recipe – which also contains bacon, sausage, potatoes, fresh Pico de Gallo, and, of course, eggs — provide crunch and an extra layer of indulgence. The recipe calls for cooking the meat and baking the casserole first, then adding a cup of cheese and thin strips of tortilla chips to the top before returning the dish to the oven until the top layer of cheese melts. This methodology allows you to incorporate the tortilla chips into the dish without overcooking them or dulling their flavor.

While Ree Drummond primarily uses this Tex-Mex combination of flavors on her Cowboy Breakfast Casserole, tortilla chips and shredded cheese can really enhance several breakfast dishes. Shredded cheese is a casserole staple due to its rich flavor and ability to pair with so many different ingredients, and tortilla chips add a welcome crunch and salty contrast when you need them to. 

The Spring Veggie Egg Bake is a perfect example. This vegetable-forward breakfast benefits from the crunchy, savory boost tortilla chips provide when they're added to the casserole just before it's finished. Alternatively, you can follow Drummond's footsteps and lean into Tex-Mex flavors, adding tortilla chips and shredded cheese to casseroles that call for mix-ins like jalapeños, sautéed vegetables, and hot sauce. Embrace Mexican flavors by making a breakfast casserole with ingredients like eggs, chorizo, bell peppers, green chilies, and salsa. Crumble corn tortilla chips and Mexican shredded cheese on top or within the casserole itself for extra flavor and texture. 

With this in mind, while you can add the two ingredients to the top of almost any savory casserole right before it's done baking, they work as mix-ins, as well. An egg and tortilla chip bake, for example, is a recipe that sees eggs, seasonings, peppers, and pepper Jack cheese get placed on top of a bed of tortilla chips. This results in the crunchy ingredient being a heavy lifter in terms of the dish's taste and texture.