Few participants realize what high food standards are set by Bountiful Baskets founders Sally and Tanya. Both of these women have educated themselves on healthy food options and have made solid commitments to only feed their families the most natural ingredients possible. When ordering the delicious breads, cookies, and granolas that we have all come to rely upon, Sally and Tanya make sure that they follow one policy “If we won’t feed it to our family, we won’t offer it to yours”. They work closely with supplying bakeries to create recipes that only include ingredients that can be found in a typical, home-kitchen. As Sally puts it “We question everything that goes in. If they can’t tell us what it is and why it’s needed we make sure it’s not included. Fillers, preservatives- all that stuff is kept out. We can’t guarantee that [cookies and cakes] won’t make you fat but we can promise that it’s not full of yucky chemicals that you can’t pronounce”.

When it comes to those fantastic Bountiful Baskets tortillas, Sally and Tanya do not let their participants down. In fact, their standards are so high that the supplier has created a special recipe just for Bountiful Baskets. This recipe is not only a healthier option than most mass-produced tortillas, it is much more versatile. Bountiful Baskets tortillas come par-baked, meaning that unlike most tortillas from the grocery store, they are not fully cooked. Par-baked tortillas have a lighter texture and a fresher flavor when heated. Heat the tortillas in a skillet on medium high, bake, fry, or even cook on the grill. Because they have no preservatives Bountiful Baskets tortillas should be refrigerated or frozen immediately.

The delicate par-baked texture makes them absolutely perfect for folding and molding into fun shapes. Create little dessert or breakfast cups by turning a muffin tin upside down. Spray the backside of the tin with cooking spray, press small tortillas between the cup mounds, and bake at 375 for 8-10 mins. Shape a larger one around the bottom of a greased, oven-proof bowl to make a dinner size taco salad. The BIG ones are perfect for burritos, wraps, and roll-ups. I like to save the little ones for layered casseroles, chips, soft tacos, mini-pizzas, tostadas, and desserts. Here are some of my favorite ways to use up the Bountiful Baskets tortillas other than the traditional burritos and tacos.

Breakfast:
• Breakfast Tostadas- Fry or bake until crispy. Top with 1 egg (cooked to your liking), pico de gallo, cheese, crumbled bacon or sausage, and avocado slices.
• Tortilla Breakfast Cups

Lunch:
• Homemade Pizza Rolls- Fill tortilla with a thick meat and tomato sauce, shredded cheese, and any other “toppings” you would want (pepperoni, mushrooms, etc). Roll and seal well. Then brush with oil and bake, or deep fry.
• Chips- Cut into wedges, brush with flavored oil, and bake. Serve with your favorite dips. Brush with garlic oil and dip in hummus. Brush with cumin or chili oil and dip in tomato salsa.
• P&B Roll-Ups- Spread your favorite nut butter (we like sunflower), drizzle with some raw honey, place a banana and roll up!
• Salad Wraps- Fill a tortilla with your favorite salad and roll up. Our family favorites are Chicken Caesar and Asian Chicken Salad, but get creative- this is good with any salad concoction you create.

Dinner:
• Use in place of traditional noodles for a Mexican-style lasagna. Layer with bean/meat mix, cheese, enchilada sauce and top with chopped olives, green onions, tomatoes, and cilantro.
• Chicken Pot Pie- Line your baking dish with tortilla. Fill with your favorite Pot Pie recipe. Top with another tortilla. Brush with butter or oil, S&P, and Bake at 350 for 35-40 min.
• Tortilla Pizzas- Small ones are great for letting the kiddos “decorate” their own. Top just like you would pizza, bake on a sheet in the oven until cheese is melted.
• Cut into strips, toss in a very little bit of oil, and bake until light brown and crispy. Crush the strips fine and then use to coat chicken or tilapia. Lightly drizzle with oil then bake on a rack over a foil lined baking sheet. Serve with pico de gallo, grilled veggies, and salad.
• Mexican Pizza- Lay the tortilla on a baking dish and spread refried beans leaving a small “crust” edge . Drizzle with enchilada sauce and then cover with shredded cheese. Top with all your Mexican faves- tomatoes, seasoned meats, onion, olives, cilantro, etc. Bake until the cheese is melted and the tortilla is slightly crisp. Slice and enjoy!

Dessert:
• Cut into strips, toss in cinnamon sugar, bake, and then use to top fruit desserts like pies or add a crunch to bowls of ice cream.
• Dessert Empenadas- (watch out these are addictive) Fill with your favorite sweet filling, deep fry, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Filling ideas include- any fruit pie filling, cream, Nutella, canned fruit slices, fruit salsas, etc.
• Strawberry Short-Cups- Fill baked tortilla dessert cups with crushed strawberries and top with fresh whipped cream.
• Pie Cups- Fill baked tortilla dessert cups with heated pie filling and top with ice cream

Some of the ideas above require the tortilla to be filled and wrapped up tight. The recipes in which the filled tortilla will be deep fried particularly need to be well wrapped. Here are very easy to follow instructions on folding a burrito. This method will work well for wraps, tortilla empanadas, pizza rolls, and pretty much any filled tortilla.

I want to thank Sally for taking time out of her very busy schedule to chat with me about tortillas (and lots of other fun stuff). We are all very grateful for the positive changes you are making in the world.
Happy Cooking!