{Baked} Breakfast Taquitos

**If you haven't seen our giveaway going on, don't miss it. It ends Monday, February 16th.

If you've been around here a while, you know that we love taquitos.  You also probably know that we love brinner.  So, on a whim, I thought--why not combine the two?  And usually when I have these kinds of crazy ideas it requires a lot of tweaking and often just scrapping the whole recipe.  But this time it was different.  I loved the result.  I don't know what it is about the crispy taquitos that gets me, but I just can't get enough.  It also helps that they come together super quickly and that I usually have all the ingredients on hand.  My kids and hubby always eat them up without any complaints, which is always a huge bonus.  Plus, they were super filling.  

Just in case these weren't awesome enough on their own, add freezer-friendly and make-ahead to their resume and you pretty much have a winning recipe.  These are perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner--or even dinner guests and the filling is super adaptable.  You can sneak in some spinach or other veggies and add green chiles if that's your thing (and in New Mexico, you know that's Lu's thing!).  I've made these several times in the past month and I think they will definitely be a regular in our dinner rotation.  

My 4-year-old also loves to help make these.  We like to use the Tortillaland uncooked tortillas, which makes him the designated tortilla-cooker.  In my scientific studies I have found that when I can involve my kids in making dinner they are approximately a bajillion times more likely to eat it.  I hope you'll give these a try!         

{Baked} Breakfast Taquitos

Printable Version

Ingredients:

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8-10 taco-sized flour tortillas

5 eggs, scrambled

1-2 cups spinach, finely chopped and sauteed (optional)

1/2 pound sausage, browned and crumbled

1 - 1 1/2 cups hash browns or shredded potatoes

salt and pepper, to taste

1 cup shredded colby jack cheese

4 ounce can diced green chiles (optional)

½ cup sour cream

vegetable oil spray

kosher salt

Directions:

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Preheat oven to 400.  Line a baking sheet with parchment or lightly greased foil.  

Cook or heat tortillas according to package directions.  Cover and set aside until ready to assemble taquitos.  

Combine sausage, cooked scrambled eggs, spinach (if desired), hashbrowns, cheese, chiles (if desired), salt, and pepper.  (Note on the hashbrowns: if using frozen or rehydrated hash browns, make sure to cook them or remove as much liquid as possible from them so you don’t end up with soggy taquitos.  If using shredded potatoes, toss them in 2 teaspoons of oil and microwave them for 5-8 minutes stirring every minute or so to soften them.  Drain any excess liquid.)

On a clean work surface, spread out tortillas.  Spread a dollop of sour cream on the inside of each tortilla.  Distribute filling evenly across all tortillas.  Roll them tightly and place seam side down on the baking sheet.  Lightly spray each taquitos with cooking spray and sprinkle lightly with coarse or kosher salt.  

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until edges of tortillas begin to lightly brown and get crispy.  Serve with salsa and sour cream for dipping.    

Notes:

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We like the Tortillaland uncooked tortillas.  Make sure to cook them before using them in the taquitos.  You can also use corn tortillas here, which I really like.  They get a bit crispier, so it’s harder for my little kids to chew them.  If you choose to use corn tortillas here it will make 12-15 taquitos.  

For the potatoes, use whatever you have.  I have used both frozen and dehydrated hash browns, and shredded potatoes with great results.  Make sure to cook or microwave them if using grated potatoes.  

To freeze: Assemble as directed up until the spraying/salting step.  Freeze until solid on a foil or wax paper lined baking sheet and then transfer them into a gallon-sized freezer bag until ready to use. Move them to the fridge to defrost on a lined baking sheet 8-10 hours before baking or allow them to thaw at room temperature for an hour or two before baking.  Before baking, lightly spray them with cooking spray and sprinkle a little bit of kosher salt on them and bake as directed.

Can easily be adapted to be gluten-free by using corn tortillas.

Recipe Source:

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A Leesh and Lu Original--by Leesh