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Mini Pizzas and Rollercoasters

Fun with tortillas

By Julie LacksonenPublished 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago 3 min read
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Photo by author

Tacos make a great summer meal, because there’s no need to heat up the house running the oven. If you’ve ever wondered what to do with leftover tortillas, look no further! Here are some great ideas to use up both corn and flour tortillas.

If your tortillas came in shell form, one option is to make a Mexican lasagna or casserole. This is a great use for broken shells, because the first step is to break apart the shells. Tortilla chips also work great for this dish. Next, layer everything in an oven pan in this order: meat, tortilla pieces, salsa, any toppings. Some great choices are tomatoes, peppers, olives, onions, mushrooms, guacamole, and salsa. The last step is cheese. Repeat as desired. Be sure to use plenty of salsa to soften the tortilla shells. Make the top layer some meat sauce. Bake for 30-40 minutes at 350. Top with additional cheese and heat until melted, approximately 10 minutes. Cool and slice. Tasty!

Food, photo by author

Another option for shells is to make a tortilla soup. Add plenty of veggies and spices. Don’t add your tortillas pieces until the end, or you will have a goopy mess.

Mini Pizzas:

If you still have leftover tortillas and taco meat, why not make mini, Mexican pizzas? They can be easily tailored to each persons’ tastes. Start with a tortilla of choice, warmed up if desired. Add some sour cream or cream cheese for “sauce.” Heat up the meat to add next. If you’d rather, you can opt for pepperoni or no meat at all. Then, include whatever toppings are on hand. Top with cheese of choice. Bake it or microwave it to melt the cheese if desired. You may need a fork and knife to eat these if you really pile on the toppings. Enjoy!

Food, photo by author

This next idea for using tortillas was a fun experiment. I had leftover ricotta and mozzarella cheeses from making lasagna. I put some ricotta cheese on a corn tortilla. I cut it into four small pieces. Next, I added hot sauce, imitation crab, and sliced green olives. I topped it with mozzarella and zapped it for 20 seconds and then 20 more at 10 second intervals, just until the cheese was melted. I let it cool down before eating. Yum! The topping options are limitless here. Try whatever you like and/or whatever you have sitting around. Spinach and chopped bell peppers work well for good vegetable options. Let your imagination take you to new taste sensations.

Photo, food by author

Another fun, healthy option for flour tortillas, is fruit pizzas. First, apply a layer of yogurt. I chose vanilla, but most kinds will work. Then, top with whatever fresh or frozen (thawed) fruit available. Kids like making faces or flowers with the fruit! An option here is to bake or fry and cool the tortillas first to give them more structure. You may also consider sprinkling with cinnamon sugar, Tajin, or cayenne.

Food, photo by author

Rollercoasters:

For flour tortillas, I like to use whatever lunch meat and cheese I have on hand (my favorite is ham with cheddar). I put a slice of meat and some cheese on the tortilla and microwave it until the cheese is melty. Then, I roll it up for a quick, tasty snack or lunch. I named these rollercoasters to get my daughters to eat them when they were young. If a crispy tortilla is preferred, these can be fried or baked as a meat and cheese crisp, with tortillas on the top and bottom. Rollercoasters can even be saved in zip type bags and sent to school for lunch.

You can also make peanut butter and jelly rollercoasters. Since I have what some consider strange tastes, I also like peanut butter and pickles as a combo. I’ve never tried it, but you could also try peanut butter and raisins, craisins, or chocolate chips.

The fruit pizzas option above can also be rolled up as rollercoasters. Just don’t add too much yogurt, or they will be messy.

Tortillas are versatile. I hope this article gives you some great ideas for using up your leftover tortillas and other items. Have fun experimenting!

Author’s husband, Ted, enjoying Mexican lasagna

This piece is a small part of the Vocal Cooks Collaborative. Find other great recipes here:

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About the Creator

Julie Lacksonen

Julie has been a music teacher at a public school in Arizona since 1987. She enjoys writing, reading, walking, swimming, and spending time with family.

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Outstanding

Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!

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  • Mike Singleton - Mikeydred2 years ago

    Already read and enjoyed , but I can now leave a comment

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