Tortilla Hand Pies - Sweet

 

Tortilla Hand Pies - cheap and easy

Sometimes you just want a little something sweet without making an entire pie — and this was one of those let me see if this works ideas that actually worked!

I had bought one of those little tortilla/dumpling crimpers and, of course, I wanted to see what else I could do with it.

A package of tortillas and a can of pie filling later, I had hand pies!

No homemade pie crust. No rolling out dough. Just a really simple little dessert using things you can easily keep on hand.

What You Need

• 6 small flour tortillas
• 1 can of your favorite pie filling
• 1 egg, beaten with a little water for an egg wash
• A little sugar or brown sugar for sprinkling
• A tortilla/dumpling crimper — or just use a fork

That's really it!

I used cherry, but there's no reason to stop there.

Cherry, apple, blueberry, peach, strawberry — use whatever pie filling your family likes or whatever you happen to have in the pantry.

The Handy Little Crimper I Used

This came with 4 different sizes, and they store inside each other. My other two are in the dishwasher. I was so excited to share, that I skipped getting them all together for you.

I have to tell you about the little gadget I used because it made the job so easy.

It's a 4-size tortilla/dumpling crimper set that I found on Amazon. The different sizes fit together and store inside one another, so you're not trying to find room in a drawer for four separate gadgets.

You simply lay your tortilla or dough across the crimper, add your filling, fold it over and press it together firmly. It crimps and seals the edges at the same time.

I used mine for these tortilla hand pies, but I can already see using it for all kinds of things — dumplings, empanadas, little pizza pockets, fruit pies and other filled treats.

You certainly don't have to have a crimper to make these. A fork will work just fine. But if you like little kitchen gadgets that actually make a job easier, this one has already earned a spot in my kitchen.

Let's Make Some Hand Pies

Place a tortilla in your crimper and spoon some pie filling into the center.

Here's the first trick:

Don't overfill them.

It's tempting to add another spoonful, but you need enough room around the edge for the tortilla to seal.

Fold it over and press the crimper really tight. You want a good seal all the way around so that wonderful pie filling stays inside.

No crimper? Fold your tortilla in half and press around the edge really well with a fork.

Once they're crimped, don't handle them too much.

I simply lifted each one out of the crimper and laid it right on the tray I was going to cook it on. Once they're filled and sealed, the less you move them around, the better.

Brush the tops lightly with egg wash and sprinkle with just a little sugar or brown sugar.

Into the Air Fryer

I used the basket-style tray in my air fryer. That lets the hot air circulate underneath, so the tortillas can get nice and golden on both sides without having to flip them.

Air fry at 425°F for about 5 minutes, watching closely for browning.

Air fryers vary, and tortillas brown quickly, so start watching them before the 5-minute mark.

You're looking for a lightly golden, crisp outside and warm fruit filling inside.

And one warning before you dig in:

Let them cool for a few minutes!

That tortilla might feel ready to eat, but the fruit filling inside can be hot!

That's a Hand Pie!

For something this simple, these really do satisfy that craving for a warm fruit pie.

And instead of making an entire pie, you've made six individual desserts.

That's especially handy in my house because sometimes I don't need a whole pie hanging around!

Want to Make Them a Little Lighter?

Here's the nice thing about this recipe: you can make the regular version or change a few ingredients to cut back on the sugar, carbs and calories.

For mine, I used:

• 60-calorie low-carb tortillas
• Great Value No Sugar Added Cherry Pie Filling, sweetened with sucralose
• Egg wash
• A light sprinkle of brown sugar substitute

That's it.

You certainly don't have to make them this way. Regular flour tortillas, regular pie filling and a little regular sugar or brown sugar will work just fine.

The lighter version is simply another option.

And with the ingredients I used, I ended up with a little fruit dessert that came in at around 100-ish calories per hand pie, depending on exactly how much filling and topping you use.

That's not bad for something that tastes like you're having a real dessert!

Cheap & Easy

This is one of those recipes I love because we're not buying a bunch of special ingredients just to make one dessert.

Tortillas can become tacos, quesadillas, wraps, breakfast burritos — and now apparently hand pies!

Pie filling is easy to keep in the pantry, and you can choose whatever flavor is on sale or whatever your family likes.

And while that little tortilla crimper certainly makes them cute and easy, you don't even have to buy one. A fork will get the job done.

Have some pie filling left?

Put it in the refrigerator and use it over pancakes, waffles, yogurt or ice cream — or make another couple of hand pies later.

That's the kind of recipe I like.

Simple ingredients. Very little work. Very little cleanup. And something good to eat at the end.

Sometimes cheap and easy really is enough.

Let’s Connect

Have an idea?
Share it in the comments — I’d love to hear what’s working for you during your different phases 💛

Till we meet again

love and find joy in your day 

Louise

Chorizo & Potato - Cheap Meal Ideas

 

Cheap Meal: Chorizo & Potato — Three Ways

Let's make a cheap dinner.

One of the easiest ways to stretch a meal is to take something with a lot of flavor and add an inexpensive ingredient that makes it go further. Chorizo and potatoes are perfect for that.

Start With the Main Filling

For this meal, we're using:

• 1 package (9 oz) chorizo

• 2 medium potatoes

That's it for the main part of the meal.

Dice the potatoes fairly small so they cook quickly and you get a little potato and chorizo in every bite. Cook the chorizo, add your potatoes, and cook everything together until the potatoes are tender.

The chorizo has so much seasoning and flavor that the potatoes don't feel like something we're adding just to make the meat stretch. They become part of the dish.

And now we have choices!

🌮 Tacos, 🌯 Burritos or Tostadas?

Use the same chorizo-potato filling and choose what works for your family — or simply use whatever you already have in the pantry.

Tacos: Grab a box of crunchy taco shells.

Burritos: Use a package of flour tortillas.

Tostadas: Grab inexpensive corn tortillas and crisp them until they're crunchy. You can fry them in a little oil, bake them, or put them in the air fryer.

No need to buy all three. Pick one.

That's one of the secrets to keeping this meal cheap.

Now Let's Talk Toppings

Here's where it's very easy to turn a cheap dinner into an expensive one.

You do NOT need every taco topping known to mankind!

Look in your refrigerator first.

Some possibilities are:

• Shredded lettuce

• Shredded cheese

• Tomato

• Onion

• Jalapeño

• Salsa

Use what you have and what your family will actually eat.

If you have half an onion left from another meal, use it. One tomato sitting on the counter? Perfect. A little cheese left in the bag? That's enough.

But What Did Dinner REALLY Cost?

This is something I think we get wrong when we talk about inexpensive meals.

If I buy a bag of shredded cheese for $2.50, I didn't eat $2.50 worth of cheese for dinner.

If I open a jar of salsa, I didn't use the whole jar.

The same goes for lettuce, onions and jalapeños.

So there are really two different numbers:

What did I have to spend at the grocery store today?

and

How much food did we actually use for this meal?

For our chorizo-potato dinner, the main filling is only around $3–$4, depending on what you pay for chorizo and potatoes.

Add roughly $2–$3 for your choice of taco shells or tortillas.

Then add only the portion of toppings you actually use.

We're looking at roughly a $9–$10 family dinner, give or take a little depending on prices in your area and what's already in your refrigerator.

And that's the whole idea behind a cheap meal.

One Filling. Three Choices.

Chorizo + two potatoes.

Turn it into tacos.

Roll it into burritos.

Pile it onto crispy tostadas.

Top it with whatever you have.

And if a little chorizo-potato filling happens to survive dinner?

Put it in the refrigerator.

Tomorrow morning, scramble an egg into it, wrap it in a leftover tortilla, and breakfast is taken care of too.

Cheap doesn't have to mean boring. Sometimes it just means making the ingredients you buy work a little harder.

Sides for this could be mexican corn casserole, spanish rice, pintos and cheese. 

Always and most importantly — thank you to my family and friends for all the love and support that has carried me this far. I will be back for me in the days ahead. This is just the beginning. 💛

Let’s Connect

Have an idea?
Share it in the comments — I’d love to hear what’s working for you during your different phases 💛

Till we meet again

love and find joy in your day 

Louise