16 Quick and Easy Ways to Use Tortillas, From Tacos and Pinwheels to Mini Pizzas

Key Takeaways

• Tortillas are a versatile kitchen staple that can transform simple ingredients into creative meals for any time of day.

• From breakfast tacos to dessert wraps, tortillas can be used to make quick, delicious meals beyond traditional dishes.

• Whether toasted, fried, or baked, tortillas are the perfect base for savory snacks, hearty meals, and sweet treats.

Tortillas are a staple in many home kitchens, often for tacos or quesadillas, but don’t stop there because the simple wrap easily transforms into new, exciting meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Corn tortillas have a stronger flavor than flour tortillas, but each is mild enough to use seamlessly in all kinds of dishes. Scrambled eggs, bacon, and cheese can make their way into ultra-savory breakfast tacos; deli meat can turn an ordinary sandwich into something deliciously different; and even something as simple as cinnamon sugar can be used with tortillas to create a quick, satisfying dessert.

We’re sharing our favorite ways to use tortillas, whether you have a few left over or a full bag to work your way through. This versatile flatbread will become one of your go-to ingredients.

Related: 22 Recipes With Tortillas, From Breakfast Taquitos to Dinner Tacos

Tacos

Tortillas are the proverbial blank slate for taco fillings of all kinds, whether it’s sliced, meaty steak, chicken, plump shrimp, refried beans, a variety of sautéed vegetables, or even scrambled eggs and bacon. Both corn and flour tortillas are sturdy enough to hold whatever it is you want to fill them with, and we like to keep things simple by toasting the tortillas over an open flame for a few seconds, just until they develop some charred spots on both sides. If you don’t have a gas stovetop, pop the tortillas under the broiler for a few seconds to achieve the same effect.

Tips

Once they are toasted, stack the tortillas and wrap them in a damp paper towel. If at any point before your meal is served, the tortillas no longer feel soft, pop them in the microwave for 10 to 20 seconds (still wrapped in the damp towel)—the steam will soften the tortillas again.

Fajitas

Tex-Mex fajitas are similar to tacos, though we typically let everyone assemble their own fajitas, providing tortillas separately from the fillings and toppings. You can simply warm the tortillas in the microwave or toast them just like you would for the tacos above.

Burritos

When you look at the selection of tortillas at the grocery store, some are street taco-sized (4 to 5 inches in diameter), while others are bigger than your head—use those for burritos. The filling possibilities are endless, and burritos are one of the best ways to use up leftovers. Plus, they freeze beautifully, so pile any meat, beans, rice, and vegetables you like (or opt for sausage, scrambled eggs, and cheese to make breakfast burritos) into the tortillas, roll them tight, and freeze them in resealable bags for a few months to enjoy freezer burritos later, whenever the craving strikes.

Tortilla Soup

Tortilla soup can be served brothy or creamy. If creamy is the route you want to take, you don’t need any actual cream. Once the tortillas soften up in the broth, all or part of it can be blended to create a silky texture full of fresh corn flavor.

Quesadillas

Looking for a quick snack? Quesadillas are the answer. They are our go-to when we have just one or two tortillas lying around. Sandwich cheese and any other fillings—something as simple as a spoonful of canned beans can be surprisingly comforting—between two tortillas (or fold one tortilla into a half-moon over the filling) and toast them in a skillet over medium heat, flipping occasionally, until the cheese is melted and the tortillas are crisp and toasted.

Enchiladas

We love enchiladas; they’re a great way to use tortillas and get a hearty dinner on the table quickly. Since they are soaked in so much sauce, corn tortillas are generally recommended over flour for this dish—flour tortillas tend to become soggy. You can even layer fillings casserole-style instead of rolling them up into individual enchiladas.

Tips

Assembled enchiladas can be wrapped tightly in the pan and frozen for up to one month. Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator before topping with cheese and baking in the oven.

Taquitos

To make taquitos, follow the same process as if you were forming enchiladas, then take it a step further and deep-fry or shallow-fry them. Any cheese and fillings that seep out of the open sides will crisp up perfectly—and if you ask us, that’s the best part.

Tips

To keep the tortillas from unfurling, and therefore allowing the fillings to spill out, use a few toothpicks to secure each taquito before it goes into the fryer, then simply remove them before serving.

Tostada

We like to make tostadas when we have leftover tortillas that are verging on stale. The tortillas are fried or baked in the oven until crunchy. Load them up with classic ingredients like refried beans, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, crumbled cotija cheese, and a drizzle of your favorite hot sauce.

Mini Pizzas

Turn those crisp tostadas into a version of your favorite takeout pizza. Keep it classic with cheese and pepperoni or load it up with ham and pineapple or shredded chicken, cheddar, and BBQ sauce. Once you pile on the toppings, pop the pizzas into a 400-degree Fahrenheit oven until the cheese melts and the other toppings are warmed through.

Chilaquiles

If you have tortillas and a jar of salsa, you can make chilaquiles, a traditional Mexican breakfast dish that’s also perfect for brunch, lunch, or dinner. Simply fry or air-fry triangles of tortillas (you can tear them into more rustic pieces instead, if desired). Then, warm up some salsa—red or green, either works here—and toss in the warm chips. They will soak up all of the flavors, leaving some soft while others stay crisp. It’s traditional to top each serving with a fried egg, but that’s optional.

Migas

Migas are almost as simple as chilaquiles—if you like one, you are bound to like the other. Tortilla pieces are added to a pan with eggs and are scrambled together. Then come toppings, such as cheese, sour cream, avocado, and fresh cilantro. They’re a hearty meal any time of the day.

Pinwheel Rollups

Turn a boring lunch into something new by swapping a flour tortilla for the usual bread. Fill two-thirds of the surface with layers of smoked turkey and cheddar, ham and Swiss, chicken salad, egg salad, or tuna salad, then roll them up tight and cut into cute bite-sized pinwheels. They are perfect for kids’ lunch boxes—but there’s no rule that says adults can’t enjoy them as well.

Casseroles

Tortillas can be swapped into any casserole that calls for layering bread with the other ingredients. Mild flour tortillas can be substituted just about anywhere (think stratas), while corn tortillas, with their earthy flavor, are best suited for Mexican-inspired casseroles.

Homemade Chips

Deep-fry (or even air-fry) triangles of salty corn tortillas, then use them to scoop up favorite dips like tomato salsa and guacamole. Or, opt for flour tortillas, coat them in cinnamon sugar as soon as they come out of the fryer—the slick heat from the oil will help the sugar stick. They can be eaten on their own, served with sweet cream cheese dips or chocolate-hazelnut spread, or used to scoop marinated strawberries.

Savory Nachos

Fried tortilla chips are the classic blueprint for everyone’s favorite appetizer—nachos. Our best trick? Layer! Don’t pile everything on top of one layer of tortillas. Instead, work with two or three layers of chips, cheese, and toppings so that each bite has something flavorful.

Related: How to Make the Best Nachos, No Recipe Needed

Dessert Tortillas

Crisp up tortillas, then, rather than a savory topping, go with chocolate chips and mini marshmallows. Pop them under the broiler for a s’mores-like dessert. Or use warm flour tortillas like crepes, wrap them around bananas or strawberries, and drizzle with chocolate.

Read the original article on Martha Stewart