Snacks & Appetizers: Tortilla Pockets

Ah, that moment when suddenly 15 teenagers are heading to your house. They're all coming, they're all hungry, and you haven't exactly been to the grocery store because you didn't know they were coming on a Wednesday night. Oh, make that 17 teenagers. What fun.


You need something to feed them, and you need it now. Time to glance in the pantry. Do you have leftover soft tortilla? Probably, especially if you mad fajitas recently. How about an egg? Definitely. And cheese? Peppers? Pizza sauce? Some meat, spinach, or anything else? Of course you do. We all do. That's really all you need to create Tortilla Pockets.


Ingredients


soft round tortillas (sometimes called wraps)
1 egg, slightly beaten
assortment of pizza-type toppings


Preparation


You'll have to move fast. Those teenagers are already in the living room. Grab the tortillas and use a pizza cutter to cut them exactly in half, so you have 2 half circles for each tortilla. That's already a good start.


Now you need to form pockets you can stuff. Roll the tortilla into a cone shape, making sure the bottom of the cone comes together. It won't be perfect, but it doesn't need to be since you'll be squishing the bottom of the cone anyway. Notice where the cone overlaps itself. Open up the overlap and brush a little egg between the flaps. Press closed gently, being careful to keep the cone open. You haven't stuffed it yet, so you don't want the entire thing sealed. While you're at it, pinch the bottom of the cone closed. Pinch hard, but don't break through the tortilla. Now you have a pocket that won't leak at the bottom.


Fill this pocket with a variety of ingredients. Think of it like a pizza, but stuffed and made from tortillas. Add some cheese, maybe some sauce, and whatever else you like. Pepperoni, peppers, spinach, even leftover hot dogs that have been quickly pan fried are delicious in these. You can substitute the sauce for mayonnaise, garlic herb spread, or ranch dressing if you like. Anything goes, so get creative.


To seal the pocket, brush a little egg on the open edge and pinch together. Again, pinch hard. Really hard, but don't go through the tortilla or you'll have a leaky pocket. Once sealed, you have to fry it up. You can deep fry these if you like, cooking until they are golden brown, or you can pan fry them. I'm not a big fan of deep frying because of the messy cleanup, so I prefer to pan fry. Heat a little oil in a pan over medium heat, add your pockets, and fry 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.


Remove from pan, drain on a rack for 1 minute, and serve immediately. Consider serving a dipping sauce like marinara or ranch to compliment the Tortilla Pockets.


This recipe makes as many pockets as you have ingredients for. If you've got a houseful of teenagers, just keep making them. They'll eat them.