Good morning! I love cooking and experimenting over a crackling campfire! I’m not sure why-maybe it’s because we don’t have a fireplace at home. Or maybe I like the smaller amount of wasted food if a pie iron experiment fails- like the spaghetti food flop! Whatever the reason, cooking and experimenting over the campfire is a favorite camping activity.
Our new favorite pie iron crusts is one that I waited too long to experiment with. I’m glad I finally tried tortillas as a pie iron crust, though, they are so crispy and yummy-definitely not a food flop!
I know why I waited to try them, I was afraid of wasting the trimmed tortillas. But, Tortilla Tidbits is a great snack using the trimmed tortilla pieces.
With untrimmed tortilla crusts, I was afraid of a big doughy stack from folding the tortillas all together. Now, I know better!
The Folded Tortilla Pie Irons are just as crispy and yummy as the trimmed ones!
Pie Iron Leftovers: Folded Tortilla Tacos Is a folded variation of the Leftover Tortilla Pie Iron recipe, but it was a yummy experiment that I wish we had tried sooner. The middle part, where the tortillas met and overlapped, was crispy and yummy- not a stack of piled dough at all!
Folded Tortilla Tacos
Oil
Leftover Taco meat, 1/4-1/3 cup per sandwich-cold is fine
Cheddar or Cojack Cheese
Flour Tortillas, I used medium or large tortillas. When I tried small tortillas later, there was a 1 inch hole where it didn’t overlap.
To serve: salsa, sour cream, lettuce, tomato, onion
Oil the pie irons, so the tortillas don’t stick while cooking. Place tortilla in one half of the pie iron, centering it.
Press ¼ cup – 1/3 cup of cold taco meat into the tortilla and top with cheese. It needs to be full so there is good contact between the tortilla and the pie iron.
Press meat in gently; try not to tear the tortillas. If you do tear it, it can still be ok. I tore one of mine, and it cooked fine. The taco meat didn’t leak out, though my taco meat is thick.
Fold tortilla sides in, overlapping them. Close the other half of the pie iron cooker. Since the tortilla is all folded in to make the crust, there shouldn’t be any extra that sticks out of the pie iron.
Cook on both sides over the fire until golden brown and crispy. I check them after a few minutes, and then flip and cook the other side when the first side is golden brown.
Cooking time depends on the heat of the fire and how hungry or patient you are. Usually it takes just 5-8 minutes. Sometimes, I set them over the coals and other times, I will set them right in the flames!
Since I am usually cooking right in the flames, I check the sandwiches often so they don’t burn. This is also why I prefer cast iron pie irons. They are heavier, but hold up to the heat better than the Teflon pie irons we used to have.
The cast iron pie irons are even easy to clean. I wash the inside of the pie iron cooker, and then dry it over the coals. After they are dry and cool, I lightly oil it and store it in our Pie Iron Storage Bag. I don’t worry about washing the sooty outside of the pie irons; the bag contains them all and keeps the soot away from anything else-as long as I don’t set them on my jeans when I’m washing them!
Even the pie iron with the tore tortilla crust was easy to wash up and clean. Not much leaked out, and after it cooled for a few minutes, it was yummy and crispy! I’m always amazed at how steaming hot pie iron meals are, even if I start with cold ingredients.
I can’t believe I waited so long to try tortillas as pie iron crusts! I did not have wasted tortillas or a big dough center where the tortillas overlapped- but I did have a yummy supper!
I love camping options! And now, with tortillas, bread and Bucket O’Bread, I have plenty of options to experiment and cook over the campfire with!
Happy Camping! (or heading to the store for more tortillas!)
Frugal Campasaurus