Zesty, Crunchy Breakfast Burritos

My husband and step daughter Nicole both love breakfast burritos. Jay used to make them for Nicole on the weekends all the time when she would come and stay with us. She lives with us now, but she used to live with her mother in Kansas. Jay’s version of a breakfast burrito consists of eggs, cheese and a tortilla (maybe even a little salsa if he is feeling adventurous.) While satisfying for those two, Mrs. Ketchum prefers a little more interest (and flavor) to her food, so I created these zesty, crunchy breakfast burritos.

It all started while watching The Food Network. Isn’t that where a lot of the great food stories begin? I was watching one of the chefs (most likely The Pioneer Woman) make breakfast burritos. The next evening on the way home from work, I stopped at Loaf n Jug, which is a Kroger gas station. This particular location has a mini mart so I picked up some flour tortillas, a red bell pepper, a yellow onion, some taco seasoned shredded cheese and since they have a limited selection, I wasn’t able to find tater tots, but I found tater rounds, which as it turns out were even better. I already had bacon and eggs at home, so I was ready to experiment the next morning.

[bctt tweet=”Zesty, Crunchy Breakfast Burritos with center cut bacon, tater tots and fresh veggies. #breakfastburritorecipe #foodblog” username=””]

It all starts with bacon. Glorious, crispy, delicious bacon. I always use center cut bacon. It has less fat and less calories than traditional bacon, but tastes a heck of a lot better than turkey bacon. It also leaves very little fat in the pan. Just enough to sauté the veggies, but not enough to require draining.

While the bacon was crisping away in the pan, I chopped up 1/4 of a yellow onion and 1/2 of a red bell pepper. You can use any color of bell pepper you like, but red happens to be my favorite and since I’m the one that does the grocery shopping, I picked up a red one. They are the prettiest, don’t you agree?

After the bacon was done cooking, I drained it on a paper towel and threw the onions and peppers into the pan with the remaining bacon fat until they were golden and softened.

Meanwhile, I mixed the eggs, some lowfat milk (you can use milk, half-and-half, almond milk, soy milk, whatever you prefer), freshly ground black pepper and garlic salt.

I also mixed in some fire roasted tomato salsa. This one from Trader Joe’s is my favorite. Being from California, I grew up shopping at Trader Joe’s. It was my dad’s favorite store and our kitchen pantry and fridge were always filled with yummy goodness from TJ’s. We finally got a Trader Joe’s locally in October of 2014 and I shop there about every 2-3 weeks. It makes me happy.

Next, I added the eggs and salsa and bacon back into the skillet with the peppers and onions and stirred until the eggs were fully cooked.

Now, these are zesty, crunchy breakfast burritos. Where does that crunch come from? I’m so glad you asked! I mentioned some tater rounds earlier in this post. When you bake them in the oven, they get nice and crunchy and delicious and no breakfast burrito is complete without them, in my opinion. And, since this is my blog, my opinion counts. It’s good to be queen.

It’s time to start building my masterpiece. Start with a room temperature flour tortilla. Then, add 8 tater rounds. Follow with some taco-seasoned grated cheese. You can use whatever cheese you like. I just happen to think the taco-seasoned cheese pairs really well with the other ingredients.

Now, add the egg mixture, roll and consume. I suggest you pair it will coffee. Lots, and lots of coffee. Coffee is another thing that makes me happy.

I hope you will try this recipe and put your own spin on it. Be sure to take a photo and tag #ketchumkitchen on Instagram. I would love to see your creation!

Thank you for stopping by my kitchen, where everything, without exception, is made from the ♥