How to Save Money (and get kids to eat) with this Easy Homemade Tortilla Recipe

I’ve long been a believer, that involving children in the cooking, eating, or planning process opens them up to try new foods. At first, I was skeptical about the idea of attempting a homemade tortilla recipe. The time and attention involved just didn’t seem worth the money saved. I should have taken my own advice, and involved the children in the first place. We would have been making these easy homemade tortillas a long time ago!

With 7 children to feed every day, finding wholesome, home cooked (and affordable!) meals that all of my children will eat is challenging. Many times, I played with the idea of sticking to a regular routine of “kid food” options for lunch. Frozen fish sticks, chicken nuggets, butter noodles… it may be easier, but it’s not better for the kids. So I keep trying new foods, new ways. I have cooked vegetables in every way imaginable to make the more interesting and palatable to the kids. Rarely do I even mess with taco Tuesday, since my Daycare Littles are hit or miss on whether they will eat it anyway. Until I discovered this simple homemade tortilla recipe.

Best of all, it only uses 5 ingredients- ingredients you most likely already have in your home!

Homemade Tortilla Recipe

Now, I cannot take all of the credit. Pinterest is my best friend, and the recipe came from Maree Mortimer with www.childhood101.com . I think there are several varying versions for a homemade tortilla recipe, but this was just the one I landed on that I thought I’d try. (ok, and the pictures made it look easy.

The ingredient list is simple:

• 3 cups plain (all purpose) flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil (this is where ingredients vary for the homemade tortilla recipe. I think there are several who call for Crisco instead)
• 1 cup warm water

Cooking Directions

• Mix Dry ingredients.
• Mix Wet ingredients.
• Stir until the ingredients begin to pull from the sides of the bowl, forming a ball.
• Knead ball on a lightly floured surface for 3-5 minutes (the kids love this and it is a wonderful tool in building hand strength). Feel free to add more flour if the ball still feels sticky (I did).
• Shape the ball out into a long sausage, or as the Littles say, “snake” shape.
• Divide the dough in half, then again and on until you have 16.
• 
• This is a great opportunity for the kids to count and understand the concept of dividing in half.

   

• Have the children roll each portion into a ball, then spread it out to make a circle.

Shape learning and building hand strength!

I adore all the little finger prints in the haphazard circles.

• Allow the balls to sit for at LEAST 15 minutes. This allows the gluten in the dough to bond, ensuring a less flakey or breakable tortilla shell.
• Next, roll the dough out into circles. I let the kids do as many as they wanted, until they got bored. After that, I finished them off. You want them as thin as possible without tearing. (Ours were not beautiful. But there is beauty in imperfection!)

Rolling out the dough was the kids favorite part

• Set a dry, non stick skillet to medium-high. Then place the circles on, one at a time. Approximately 1 minute on one side, and 30 seconds on the other. When it starts to brown slightly and bubble, flip it!

Looks like it’s time to flip!

That’s it! Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy!

We ate these as tacos, and the kids who generally pick at their tacos inhaled them! Involving the Littles in the food they eat gives them a sense of pride and excitement over trying new foods! Hurray!

You can also make these in bulk and freeze them wit a piece of wax or parchment paper between each one to prevent sticking and always have homemade tortillas on hand!

What are some ways you have incorporated cooking for your childen? What are some of your go-to recipes?

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Lauren Lewis

Lauren Lewis is no stranger to childcare development, having spent over 10 years as a nanny or family childcare provider. She’s the wife of a travel geek, mother of two vivacious children, and has an amazing talent for trailing lost things behind her a la Hansel and Gretel. Her passion for lifting up women and advocating for children pours out in her work as a Central Indiana Event Coordinator, Writer, and Social Media Relations Director for Breastfeeding World. Her life is full of busy, crazy and LOUD. It is full of love and hope, ups and downs. And coffee, always lots of coffee- but she wouldn’t have it any other way.