Calling our cooks!! What to do with too many tortillas?

[MaryMary]

I stopped at a grocery on my way home from work last night. At the check-out, there was a sizeable stack of flour tortillas, ten to a package. They were very close to their expiration date, so they marked them down to... wait for it... 10¢ a pack!!


I bought five. I know that I can use two before they are stale, and probably give the remaining three to neighbors.


Then the cashier told me they were cluttering her counter, and she just wanted rid of them. (I understand - they want to shove so many "impulse buys" at the consumer, between the key chains and lighters and candy and Christmas novelties - there's hardly any room on the counter to put the items you want to buy!! .)


She said, "Here, take them ALL!!" And she proceeded to pull two quarters out of her pocket, gave them to me, rang up the remaining five packs, and put them in my bag!! I tried to protest... They should maybe be sold to someone else; someone else could make a meal around them, too. I can't use all of these!!! Then she told me they would be thrown out at the end of the day. Which was in about a half an hour.


I need help!! I only have 3 neighbors that I would give them to, unless I start knocking on the doors of strangers. I don't think the food pantry will take them with them being so close to expired. I'm going to google to see if I could freeze them...


I know I've seen a recipe somewhere for a layered burrito-casserole type thing, and I'd imagine that would be freezable, but really, I am at a loss here. What on earth can I do with 100 tortillas that will be "bad" tomorrow?!


Anybody have recipes for using tortillas? Something I can freeze? Main dishes would be great, I like ready-made meals to pop in the microwave when I get home from work. But I'm also thinking... they are a little like a very thin pie crust... ... Do you think they could be used to make a dessert of sorts?

 

[Chuck]

Well, first off you can freeze the tortillas. When you want to use some just get a spatula and pry the frozen tortillas apart. You can make and freeze enchilladas and enchiritos. Just think of all the good stuff you can make with tortillas. You can bake them and make chips. You can make all kinds of tacos from beef to cheese to chicken and all with different fixin's. Mexican food is my favorite of all just as long as you have some hot peppers to go along with it. The only "desert" I have ever had with tortillas is to butter one side, add cinnamon and sugar and heat up in a skillet. Then roll them up and chow down.

 

[marlingardener]

MaryMary, tortillas freeze just fine. You can also make chicken tortilla soup (https://www.chowhound.com/recipes/chicken-tortilla-soup-30472). Jacques Pepin makes an apricot torte using a tortilla as a base, and he also uses tortillas as a base for small pizzas. If Jacques does it, it has to be fine!
I use them for quesadillas, a great way to use up left-over broccoli, chicken, and just enough cheese to make the quesadillas stick together. http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/quesadilla/
I put a tortilla in a small frying pan with just about a tsp. of oil, add the ingredients and top with another tortilla. Flip when the bottom tortilla is browned lightly, and then slice into wedges.
When about to expire tortillas go on sale, I buy a bunch, stick them in the freezer, and have them on hand for quick lunches.

 

[Beverly]

Wow, i can't top Chuck and Marlin. They have some great ideas. I have had a lovely tortilla soup made with mushrooms, squash blossoms, and avocado, the soup is called sopa azteca. Pop those little guys into the freezer and take your time making nice meals with them.

 

[MaryMary]

Thank you for your replies!

I read @Chuck's post just before logging off yesterday, so all but one is in the freezer.

@marlingardener, I will be looking at your links!!

Pop those little guys into the freezer and take your time making nice meals with them.

Yes, ma'am, will do!!

 

[Ian]

I wish I lived closer @MaryMary - I love tortillas so much . We've always got a pack or two in our freezer, as they're so versatile.

I'd never heard of chicken tortilla soup, so I'm going to give that a try sometime. We used to make a load of soups, but never this one .

 

[Chuck]

Here is my favorite Mexican recipe for a cold miserable winter day. Enchiritos. Brown some ground beef. Get a big casserole dish and pour a can of enchilida sauce into it and spread it all around. Then get some refried pinto beans and spread it on a tortilla. Next spread sour cream on the tortillas. Next spread the browned ground beef on them. Next sprinkle chopped onions on them. Next grate some cheddar cheese and put a good layer of that on the tortillas on top of everything else. Next put a spoonful or two of salsa on them and roll them up and place them tightly into the casserole dish. Next pour a bunch of salsa or enchilada sauce over the whole thing and sprinkle a lot of cheese on top. Bake at 350 until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the entire thing is HOT thru and thru. You don't really have to roll up the tortillas. You can also make this dish like you would lasagna, in layers and then cut with a pizza cutter. If you have any left after supper it freezes really well so make a bunch of it.

 

[Tjohn]

They make good "sandwiches", too. Take any filling you like, put it on top of lettuce and tomatoes,add ranch dressing,tuck in the sides and roll it up. Good fast lunch using leftovers.

 

[zigs]

Best shred them and compost them

Can't abide tortillas

 

[Chuck]

Best shred them and compost them

Can't abide tortillas

Well when you come visit I guess I'll have to get an industrial sized shredder because tortillas are everywhere in Texas.

 

[MaryMary]

I've been running around on the internet.

It seems the "layered burrito-casserole type thing" is called Mexican lasagna.


I've found a site with 20 ways to use tortillas! I like her sense of humor.

I’m not sure how or when this happened. It’s all a fog to me. I went to the grocery store, fully conscious, but don’t recall putting 20+ bags of tortillas in my shopping cart. And now they are everywhere, tumbling out of the refrigerator each time I open it. I could have sworn that one of them let out a maniacal laugh. Help! What in the world can I do with all of these tortillas? I don’t want to throw them out, they were FREE after all,
Read more at http://www.preparednesspro.com/101-uh-make-that-20-ways-to-use-a-tortilla#UiylxjgIbqfRT1h2.99

One of the ideas is to use cherry pie filling, and make empanadas. I'm a little unsure because I tend to over-stuff tortillas, and I'm not sure what pie filling would do to the oil in the fryenator. Also, it reminds me a bit of McD's cherry pies, and that is a thing that should just never happen.



I found "Baked Apple Pie Tortilla Rolls" at this site: http://www.sweetlittlebluebird.com/2012/09/inspiration-cafe-13-baked-apple-pie.html


I also found a more traditional apple pie recipe at this site: http://www.diaryofacrazedcook.com/2014/04/apple-pie-tortilla-crust/

 

[marlingardener]

Or, you could do what folks use tortillas for around here. Go to the suspension bridge over the Brazos River, tear a hole about the size of a quarter in the middle of the tortilla (think very flat doughnut) and fling it into the river for the ducks. The person who flings the tortilla the farthest is the champion tortilla tosser.
Sometimes life gets pretty dull here in Texas, and we have to find new and different forms of entertainment.

 

[MaryMary]

What is the purpose of the hole in the middle?

 

[MaryMary]

Here's an idea.

 

[Chuck]

Here's an idea.

Wow! That's a passel of carp. Which reminds me of my favorite carp recipe. Build a small hardwood fire and while the fire is making coals scale and clean a carp. Nail or affix the carp to a suitable size piece of plywood and prop it up close to the fire. When the carp is a nice uniform golden brown color throw the carp away and eat the plywood.