Three variations of my Dashboard Break Burritos, potato sausage, black bean sausage, and vegetarian. Ready to go, just cook 'em up on your windshield defroster.

This is the time of year when Herb and I can take a bit of a break and hit the road. A spring ski trip down the east side and in May, in need of a little warm-up, we tend to hit the desert southwest. Half the fun is in the planning. Mapping out the trip and daily activities is a joint effort. Planning out our meals is my specialty.

For us, the Dashboard Burrito is a road trip must. Not because we start our journey at the crack of dawn and have breakfast on the fly. That's always our plan but it never seems to pan out. It's more like the crack of noon. But we do get up well before dawn if I have a sunrise shot in mind or an early start to backcountry ski or hike. That's when the time and effort to make my delicious burritos pays off. Toss a couple on the windshield defroster and within a few minutes breakfast is served.

For those of you that do manage to pack up and be on the road early, with a couple of burritos and a thermos of coffee at your side, you won't have to make a pit stop for hours. The biggest plus, you won't be eating gas station burritos that have been under a heat lamp for days on end. My Dashboard Breakfast Burritos are warm, fresh, and yummy.

 

Makes one batch of 8 to 9 burritos!

Serving size: 1 burrito ( Do NOT Share)   Calories: A lot, try not to think about it!

Time: Strong  1 hour plus, but worth it!

Ingredients

1/2 pound grounded sausage

1/2 pound hot ground sausage

1/2 red bell pepper . chopped

1/2 green bell pepper . chopped

1/2 onion . chopped 

2 medium yellow or Yukon Gold potatoes or 6 to 8 small 

8 eggs

Salt and pepper to taste

1 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 jar Trader Joe’s Garlic Chipotle salsa ( won’t use the entire jar)

1 bottle Trader Joe’s Sriracha sauce ( won’t use the entire bottle)

8  to 9 Tortilla Factory burrito size flour tortillas

Olive oil and nonstick spray for skillet

Aluminum foil cut into 10-inch squares ( Not an ingredient, do not add foil to eggs!) :-) 

OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS: Replace potatoes with black beans, ( rinsed and drained)

If using black beans add several dashes of Trader Joe’s The Whole Elote seasoning to pan just before you add the eggs to the skillet. 

When I make burritos, I usually make two batches, one potato, and one black bean. For veggie burritos, scrap the sausage. When they're all done and wrapped in foil, I'll keep a couple in the refrigerator, should last 5 days, and freeze the rest. 

Step One: 

Scrub potatoes, and cut into 1/3 cubes, skins on

Chop bell peppers

Dice onion

If making black bean burritos, drain and rinse

Cut sheets of aluminum foil into 9" squares and stack close to burrito construction area. (No hard hat required)

Step Two: 

Place potatoes in microwave-safe bowl with a bit of water and blast them until firm tender. When done remove from bowl and drain.

Add 1 to 1/12 tbsp olive oil to skillet, when the oil is hot add bell peppers and onion, salt and pepper, and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until edges are slightly browned but peppers are still bright in color. Stir frequently. At about 2/3 of the way through cooking the peppers, add the drained potatoes. Finish sautéing peppers and potatoes together. Don't over cook the peppers! When bell peppers and onions are just right, transfer to a dish.

Step Three: 

Add the sausage, regular and hot, to the skillet, and brown. Again don't be a doorbell and over cook!

While the sausage is browning, crack the eggs into a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add a bit of milk and whisk away. (adding milk makes the eggs go further, milk not necessary). When the sausage is nicely browned, stir in the egg mixture and dump the peppers and onions in and lastly the potatoes or black beans.  Cook 'em up stirring to scramble. Remove fun heat.

Step Four /  The Fun Part:

Heat individual tortilla up on your stove top. When warm but not scorched, place the tortilla on the foil. Add a swath of TJ's Garlic Chipotle Sala on the tortilla, now a good scoop of the scramble egg mixture. Add a desired amount of the shredded cheddar cheese and finish off with a zig zag squirt of TJ's Sriracha sauce.

Gently fold the sides of the tortilla in, now carefully roll the edge of the tortilla closes to you forward and wrap the foil around to keep your burrito fresh and hold it in place. Yeah! You just made your first Dashboard Breakfast Burrito. You only have 17 more to go!

Hit the Road / Breakfast On the Go!

Grab as many Dashboard Breakfast Burritos as you can eat while you're on the road, and keep them in your cooler until you are ready to toss a couple up on your dashboard windshield defroster. After 8 minutes or so, flip them and give another round of heat. Should be ready in 12 to 16 minutes. If you drive a Tesla, do NOT run down the battery. On the other hand if you drive a Tesla, you probably don't want to be seen driving with a burrito in your windshield.

NOTE: Burritos should be thawed or mostly thawed before tossed on the defroster.

Hope you enjoy my Dashboard Breakfast Burritos!

Next up we have Refrigerator Pickled Beets. Keep in a Mason jar, great at home, handy on a road trip. Toss 'em on a salad, sandwich, or as a simple side. Not a beet lover, then beat it! Damn, I'm funny!