Thursday, August 20, 2009

Post #156: Tasty Tortilla Shell Treats

From tortilla tasties

I made these little babies for my Tapas dinner held a few weeks ago for my COF's (circle of friends) August birthdays, which I am included in, so I had a particularly vested interest in its success.  My hubby helped me make these little treats. Here is how we did it:

We used store bought pre-packaged raw tortillas (found in freezer section of the grocery store). Then, we decided on what ingredients we would like to fill the shells with, because the possibilities are endless. We used reduced-fat pork breakfast sausage and reduced-fat fiesta blend cheese. Then, follow these simple steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 350F.
  2. Lightly spray mini-muffin pan with canola or any light cooking spray.
  3. Use a 2-inch biscuit or round cookie cutter to cut as many circles as you can get from each raw tortilla round.
  4. Fit tortilla circles into each muffin tin, pressing down on bottoms and up the sides. 
  5. Once all circles are in, lightly spritz the shells with canola or any light cooking spray.
  6. Then, and this is very important, lightly press fork tines into the bottom of the shells a few times BEFORE baking. This keeps the tortilla from puffing and helps the bottom stay flat for filling. 
  7. Bake for 5-7 minutes. Times may vary, so for the first batch, take sneak peaks until you see shells are to your desired crispiness. 
  8. Remove shells. 
  9. Fill with toppings of choice (remember all raw meats must be cooked in advanced and drained of fat). 
  10. Then, place shells back into the oven for 2-4 minutes, until cheese(s) melt. 
  11. Remove from oven.  Cool mini shells for a few minutes, until cheese(s) sets. 
  12. Ready to serve! 
These shells would also be perfect filled with dips, sauces, or guacamole. You could also sprinkle them with a cinnamon-sugar mixture. Then, fill them with sweet creams, fruit, or even ice cream!

A healthier version would be to use reduced-fat tortillas or whole grain tortillas with reduced-fat toppings.

These are very easy and can be made just before guests arrive or while you are mingling.

Well, time for me to say goodbye to the computer. There is some laundry with my name written all over it! Such a glamorous life I lead.  Later, vacumming. Ah, exciting stuff!

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ooh...those do sound tasty. I've been wanting to have a tapas party for the longest time.

Donna-FFW said...

Fantastic appetizer idea, possibilities are limitless. Great tip about the fork tines.

Jennifer said...

What a great idea, never thought of that!

Linda said...

I love using these little shells.
I have filled them with all sorts of things for parties.
Nice idea on the fork tines. I have put them in the mini tins before and let them bake for a few minutes, then punch them down with the end of a wooden spoon handle and finish baking.

Debbie said...

Those look so great!

Anonymous said...

Those are delicious little treats, wonderful appetizer!

Teanna DiMicco said...

Gorgeous job! do the shells work well if they have been sitting out for a bit (depending on the filling) or are they better right out of the oven?

Flourchild said...

Yum these look like I could sit and pop them in my mouth all night=)..Nice!

Janice said...

I love tapas especially when they're good as these. I can't wait to try the recipe

Leslie said...

What a cool idea! This would be a fun thing for guests to do, like a make your own type of thing.

My laundry and vacuuming need me to have the same dedication you do!

Irene said...

This looks fabulous and very easy too! I absolutely love recipes like this - minimal fuss, maximum flavor. And tapas dinner, yay!

Ingrid_3Bs said...

I know I should go with the savory but my mind jumps straight to dessert! :)
~ingrid

Unknown said...

These sound so delicious! Like all of your things : ). I am making pot stickers for supper. Pot stickers from the store in a pre packaged bag.... : )