Breakfast Burritos with Green Chile and Bacon

Breakfast Burrito with Green Chile, Smothered

Hatch green chile (best green chile peppers in the universe) is now in season, starting from mid-July through August.

During my 20 years in New Mexico, I learned that chile peppers, particularly fresh Hatch green chile, are essential to the local cuisine. There is nothing more New Mexican than a breakfast burrito, either hand-held (if you are on the go) or "smothered" in chile sauce on a plate. (I make mine hand-held, so I have the option to "grab and go," but I add extra sauce over them whenever possible.) I have made the same green chile sauce for decades, and I can't recall the source, but it has become my own. Everyone has a particular type of breakfast burrito they love, and for me, it's a bacon, potato, and green chile burrito smothered in extra green chile sauce. One important tip: don't be tempted to make only four burritos - make the whole recipe and freeze at least half.

Breakfast burritos are not complicated. Cook your bacon until crisp--I like the method of cooking in a 425-degree oven for 20 minutes or until the bacon is crisp. If possible, go for extra-thick bacon. Also, prepare your green chile sauce. If finding green chile is difficult where you live, just buy the best you can find. We all love Hatch green chile in August/September, hot out of the roaster. But frozen is good. Bottled is okay if that's all you can find. In a pinch, I'll use canned green chile. Make the sauce with butter if you can. It really does add something to the dish.

When you are ready to assemble, bring your egg/potato mixture, bacon, chile sauce, and cheese together in a good workspace.

One at a time, add a few tablespoons of the egg/potato mixture, one piece of extra-thick bacon or two slices of regular bacon, a couple of spoonfuls of sauce, and a sprinkling of cheese.

Begin rolling the part of the tortilla closest to you up, tuck in the sides, and continue rolling, ending with the seam downward.

Continue this process for all 8 burritos. You should have enough chile sauce remaining to smother several burritos. Refrigerate sauce or freeze within 3 days.

Wrap your burritos in parchment paper and place them in Ziploc freezer bags. They are fine in the freezer for up to 6 months, but they'll never last that long.

Breakfast Burritos, NM Style

Ingredients ($15.70 for eight servings or $1.96/serving)

Wrap and Label Breakfast Burritos for Freezer