Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Saturday, November 2, 2024 84° Today's Paper


Crave

Scramble up eggs and cheese for a Tex-Mex breakfast

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Breakfast tacos are stuffed with eggs, cheese and avocado.

Long before I knew that the origin of breakfast tacos was a hotly debated topic, I was eating them and loving them. I had my first breakfast taco many years ago in Houston, but I am not about to give birthright credit to any particular city.

Regardless of where you had your first breakfast taco, if you are like me, you crave them and must make them yourself at home.

The beauty of the tortilla is that it makes normal fork-and-knife foods such as scrambled eggs (and pork barbecue, steak, fish, etc.) portable.

I prefer my breakfast tacos like my favorite egg sandwich but rolled, or folded over in a flour tortilla. To me the essential ingredients must be cheesy eggs, a dash of hot sauce and cool slices of ripe avocado. I love bacon and prefer to serve it on the side where it stays crisp — but feel free to add it to the eggs. Not many restaurants add slices of avocado unless you ask, but for me the avocado is what makes it a Tex-Mex breakfast taco instead of just eggs in a tortilla.

When I have tomatoes and white onions on hand, I add those to my cheesy eggs and I am one happy girl. I like breakfast tacos so much that I have been known to have them for lunch and/or dinner as well.

In Texas the potato, egg and cheese combo reigns king, as does the classic eggs and bacon. But there really are no rules. If you are a fan of chorizo, chorizo and crisp potatoes make a perfect match, especially with some blistered poblano peppers thrown in for good measure.

Breakfast Tacos

  • 8 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and cooked; optional, or serve whole slices on side
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
  • 1 small white onion, diced
  • 1 medium tomato, diced
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • 8 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 cup white cheddar or Monterey Jack with jalapenos, shredded
  • 8 6-inch flour tortillas, warmed
  • 1 avocado, thinly sliced
  • Hot sauce, for serving

Cook bacon in large nonstick skillet, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 10-12 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain (do not pour off fat from skillet).

Add 2 tablespoons butter and onion to skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring often, until translucent and tender, 2-3 minutes.

Add tomato and season lightly with salt and pepper. Push mixture to side of skillet. Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter to center of skillet and let melt.

Whisk eggs and add to skillet, then mix in tomato and onions from side. Cook, stirring occasionally and scraping bottom of skillet with a heatproof spatula or fork until eggs form large curds, 1-2 minutes.

Add cheese and stir to mix in and melt. Do not increase heat to speed up cooking or your eggs might burn.

Remove skillet from heat and mix in bacon, if using, or serve on side.

Fill tortillas with cheesy egg mixture and avocado. Serve with hot sauce. Serves 8.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving: 354 calories, 21 g total fat, 9 g saturated fat, 244 mg cholesterol, 428 mg sodium, 27 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 2 g sugar, 15 g protein.

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