Now that school has started, one of the biggest issues in a busy mom’s life is what to serve for breakfast? Even though I don’t send my kids off to school every morning, I remember the days when I did. It was difficult to find something quick, healthy, and cheap. This is one standby that fits the bill!
Breakfast Burritos
These are easy to make in bulk on the weekends, so you have a quick breakfast on weekday mornings. And breakfast burritos are very versatile, so you can mix up the taste from one batch to the next.
Here’s the basic version. Layer some scrambled eggs, cheese, and salsa on a tortilla, fold it up, wrap it in plastic, and throw it in a freezer bag in the freezer.
Breakfast Burritos Recipe |
- 1 dozen eggs
- 2 lb block Cheddar Cheese
- 16 oz. Salsa
- 12 ct. flour tortillas
- Wrap tortillas in foil and place in oven heated to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Bake for 15 minutes or until heated through.
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat.
- Place egg in skillet.
- Cook until done.
- Scoop cooked egg evenly down the center of warmed tortilla.
- Sprinkle cheese on the warm egg.
- Add some Salsa.
- Roll tortillas up.
- Serve immediately.
Cost Breakdown
- 1 dozen eggs: $1.32
- 2 lb block Cheddar Cheese: $4.99
- 16 oz. Salsa: $2.00
- 12 ct. flour tortillas: $2.49
Assuming each breakfast burrito uses 1 tortilla, 2 eggs, and 2 tablespoons each of cheese and salsa, the price of each burrito comes out to just 57 cents! Add an apple or banana for some fruit, and a cup of milk, and you have a well rounded breakfast!
To make it even healthier, you could add veggies in season. Change the type of cheese you use to vary the taste. Both of these options would raise the total cost a bit, but with a base cost of 57 cents, it won’t break the bank!
That’s my Tightwad Tuesday tip! What’s yours?
Photo by Annie Mole.
Thanks for the reminder. Breakfast burritos are my go to meal for a quick and easy dinner when we are pressed for time. Last year I made a batch for the freezer and everybody loved them. I had forgotten that but I need to put it on my to do list again.
These sound like yummy options. My girls just usually eat an apple or bananna on the run.
Homemade egg McMuffins are another frugal alternative, for sure!
And Robert, we’re going to need the frozen coffee drink recipe. Dutch Freezes are my favorite!
Ok, here is the recipe:
First I use ice cubes that are really small. You should be able to buy these at local stores like Fred Meyer, Target, etc. This is important because if you use large cubes, you will have a lot more chunks in your drink and you won’t be able to use as much ice as the blender won’t break it up enough. Prior to getting these trays I did it with just 5 regular size ice cubes, as any more really mucked up the blender.
Also, I use an Oster Fusion blender that I bought at Costco for less than $50. It has a setting for iced drinks. You need to have a blender that has a setting like this, as it will give you better results. It actually varies the blend speed at several different times during the blending. Several companies make them. If you have unlimited budget, BlendTec makes world class blenders that are used in Starbucks, etc worldwide. But a “consumer” version will set you back $400, so check out Costco for a much cheaper alternative!
Recipe:
1 tray of those small ice cubes
slightly less than 1 cup of milk
1 1/2 tablespoons of Caffe D’Amore Mocha Frappe Freeze Coffee Mix
1 tablespoon of Nescafe Tasters Choice Gourmet Roast Coffee
1-3 tablespoons of Torani Chocolate Sauce depending on your taste preferences. I never measure it, but just “eyeball” it.
Mix it all up in the blender and enjoy!
Here are the best sources I have found:
Caffe D’Amore Mocha Frappe Freeze Coffee Mix – This can be found at MOST Costco’s in a 2.3 lb package for under $9. It yields about 90 servings. It is not available at the Medford Costco, but it is at just about every other one in the state. I load up every time I go north. (If you want some Lynnae I have 14 in my garage!)
Nescafe Tasters Choice Gourmet Roast Coffee – Target has the best price I have ever seen. About $7 for a large container that 60-70 servings (at least). It is on sale right now for slightly more than $6.
Torani Chocolate Sauce – While you can buy this at Winco and many other stores, the best price I have found is at United Grocer’s Cash & Carry. 64 oz is about $10. They also have sugar free. This is the same chocolate sauce that Dutch Bros uses. Torani also makes a sugar free version of the same sauce.
As for cost:
10-15 cents for Caffe D’Amore Mocha Frappe Freeze Coffee Mix
10 cents for Nescafe Tasters Choice Gourmet Roast Coffee
15 cents for Torani Chocolate Sauce
For 40 cents or less you can have something that is very close to Dutch Bros. Double Chocolate Mocha (blended). Theirs does taste more “chocolaty”, but that is because they add more Torani Chocolate Sauce (probably 4-6 tablespoons). You can adjust all of the things in drink to taste.
Let me know if you need any more information!
Oh man, that sounds really good! I need to shop around for blenders before I try this though. My blender is a really old one my brother got me while I was in college. I don’t think that will handle the ice very well. LOL
Thanks for the recipe!
I make an Egg McMuffin every morning for breakfast for about 65 cents.
I put an egg in a glass pyrex custard dish (10 oz) and break the yolk with my fingers. I take ham that I buy from Costco and have cut into rounds and wrap it up in a paper towel. Put both of those in the microwave for 40-45 seconds. I have found that large eggs work better than extra large or jumbo eggs. If all you have is extra large or jumbo eggs, just don’t use all of the egg.
I toast an english muffin in the toaster. I buy the 10 pack “Extra Crispy” english muffins from Winco for $1.55. I like a mine a bit crispier so after I toast it the first time, I toast it for 40 seconds more while the eggs & ham are cooking in the microwave. Just make it the way you like it. I think McDonalds even puts butter on their Egg McMuffin, but I don’t like those extra calories.
I put it all together and top it off with a slice of cheese that cost 10-12 cents if you buy the large package of american cheese at Costco. I have also use Tillamook cheddar which is really good but more expensive.
Here are the costs:
Egg: 15-20 cents depending on the egg and type.
Ham: 15-20 cents a slice depending on the type & thickness of the ham.
Muffin: 15-20 cents depending on where you buy your muffins.
Cheese: 10-15 cents depending on what kind of cheese you want to use.
So for 55-75 cents you can have an Egg McMuffin that is at least as good as McDonalds and can be even better if you use higher quality ham and cheese. I love eating this every morning for breakfast!
I then make a wonderful frozen coffee drink for about 50-60 cents that is every bit as good as a $3.75 Dutch Bros. If someone wants that recipe just say so I will post it here.
My husband and the little princess love these! He generally makes a large batch of them and then freezes them for future quick breakfasts.
Throw leftover ground meat in them also.
And if veggies are in season in your garden, NO extra expense!
Try also:
Peanut butter on toast with a banana sliced on it or just to go.
And our family fav – toast with cheese melted on it in the microwave. Quick and carry it with you out the door!
I just made a batch of these last night! We had them for supper and I intentionally made extra for the freezer for a quick breakfast. I used eggs, cheese, tortillas and maple bacon! yum!
I haven’t bought salsa in a long time, because I make it myself. it’s fresher, and not as expensive. Also, I can control the amount of “heat” in it by removing the seeds from the jalapeno peppers I use. Burritos can also be made with potato, egg and cheese, or with black bean puree. They are very versatile.
Thanks for the reminder! My son is an 18 year old football player. He was just complaining this morning that he wants hardier breakfasts because a bowl of cereal doesn’t keep him full enough. Limited time in the morning is a big obstacle in getting a more filling breakfast in his stomach. He LOVES breakfast burritos, and I happen to have several pounds of sausage just sitting in my freezer. He’ll be happy to some breakfast burritos for breakfast tomorrw;)
Sounds yummy!
I LOVE breakfast burritos! I usually cook the salsa with the eggs – yum!