Copycat Taco Bell Breakfast.

Living in southeastern Utah, businesses are scarce, and becoming scarcer.  In fact, news around town is that three restaurants and one motel have decided to close down.  I've had opportunity to speak with a few other business owners, and they're thinking of doing the same.  Yet, those in power, for some odd reasoning, don't believe that economic development should be taken seriously.  Then again, there is a small faction that seems to hold reign over the area; born and raised, family money, and they want things to stay the way they were when the pioneers were first here.

Again, though, this is the very same faction that pitches the loudest fits about the county tax being raised, young people moving away, and other family members not moving back with their own families in tow..  Why would they want to?  Why would young people want to stay?  There are slim to few jobs available, there are no financial opportunities!

So I am, once again, asking, if businesses want to expand, come on into San Juan County, Utah.  At this point in time, we need stable franchises, even those associated with chains, to give our local economy a swift kick in the butt, and moving upward!  As to that small faction, time to be overthrown; so those living here, rise up and don't allow your town to become another ghost town.  People living elsewhere, come on in, buy up homes for sale; buy up empty properties and build; let's make every town, the best, and prosperous, little town in San Juan County!!!

Now to cooking, as we don't have a Mexican restaurant in the area, not even a chain that pretends to serve Mexican food, we have to either travel an hour to Cortez, CO or Moab, UT.  Or, see the commercials on the telly, and either sigh with regret, or make it up ourselves.  For us, making it up ourselves is half the fun, the other half is eating what we've created!

Taco Bell introduced the Breakfast Crunch Wrap; a whole hash brown patty, scrambled eggs, cheese and bacon, wrapped up in a tortilla that is multi-folded and browned on the outside.  I've made breakfast burritos before, some I've left with plain, open ends, tortilla; some I have closed the ends and browned in the skillet.

Luckily, the local market was selling, for a reasonable price, a package of hash brown patties.  Now these can be quickly browned in a skillet, with a bit of melted butter; or warmed up in the microwave; your choice! I fry up a package of bacon weekly....ok, someone explain why most brands don't put out one pound packages...what is with this 12 ounce nonsense!?!  It started with coffee, and is now becoming rampant with food products; what is wrong with selling a complete pound!?!

But I digress, fried up crisp bacon; made creamy and yummy scrambled eggs; tortillas were slightly warmed in the microwave (about 10 seconds, paper towel between each).

Center of the 12-inch tortilla (use 10-inch if you can't find the 12-inch), spread out two tablespoons of shredded cheddar.  Don't like plain cheddar, use pepper jack to uumph it up, or even a combo.  Oh, and leave, a minimum, of two inches clean from the edge of the tortilla to the filling.

Next, layer on a couple of slices of crispy bacon; break them into sections so they're not sticking out too far, and possibly rip the tortillas during the folding process.

Third layer is the whole hash brown laid across; remember, you warmed it up in a skillet or the microwave.  Don't use any cold ingredients, except the cheese, or it won't cook evenly in temperature.

Fourth layer is the scrambled eggs; one egg per wrap as it will spread out evenly once fluffed up.














Now comes the wrapping part, on that clean section, brush a little water onto it.  Carefully fold up, at a sharp angle, the tortilla around the filling; the water will help hold the folds together and down.

Melt a little butter in a skillet, size depends on how many you are making for breakfast.  When the butter just begins to sizzle, place the tortilla wrap, seam side down; let it brown for about 2 minutes.  Eveyone's stove top is different, so don't be shy about checking the browning after one minute.







Once browned, flip the wrap over, repeat the browning.  Remove to a plate and enjoy!  Remember, it will be hot, so don't burn yourself in your haste to eat this wonderful breakfast creation.

Now you can make your own copycat version of Taco Bell's Breakfast Crunch Wrap!  Here, here to breakfast, and to Economic Development in rural communites!!!

Mary Cokenour