Meaty eggs ranchero: Comfort in a bowl

“Huevos rancheros” might traditionally be a breakfast of fried eggs on tortillas topped with spicy tomato sauce, but this Mexican dish gets a meaty, dinner-worthy revamp in this hearty variation.

Hearty eggs ranchero

Serving size 4–6

This warm and hearty dish makes a comforting reward at the end of a long day. Plus, the prep work is minimal and few dishes are required, so you can have dinner on the table and the dishes cleaned up with as little effort as possible.

Have leftover eggs? Check out these six ways to enjoy your eggs >>

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 bell peppers, diced
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (14-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (5.5-ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon Italian herbs or oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (more or less, to taste)
• 6 eggs

Directions:

1. In a large frying pan or wok, place the olive oil, ground beef and onion, and cook over medium heat. Stir regularly, and break up the meat. Sauté for 5–6 minutes or until the beef has browned.
2. Add in the bell peppers, and cook for 6–8 minutes or until the peppers have become slightly tender.
3. Pour in the diced tomatoes, stir, cover and let simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Pour in the tomato sauce, tomato paste, herbs, salt and red pepper flakes, and stir to combine. Let simmer together for 5–10 minutes.
5. Gently crack open each egg, and pour into the tomato mixture. Cover and continue cooking at a simmer until the eggs achieve desired tenderness — approximately 10–12 minutes for soft centres and 15–20 minutes for hard centres.

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