Last week, I made a tasty Easy Blush Chicken Penne Bake to introduce Smart Cookie College Cuisine, a series that provides quick, easy, & inexpensive meals that the college student can make while away at school. With the fall semester quickly approaching, it’s time to bake up another cheap, easy meal to keep your tummy happy at college. This way, you can keep your mind on your schoolwork instead of on your all-consuming hunger.

Get a load of this: BLTP Wraps. They’re a twist (or should I say a wrap) on the classic BLT sandwich. Instead of talking bacon, lettuce, and tomato, we’re talking bacon, lettuce, tomato, AND potato. You see, the main problem with a regular BLT is the lack of substance. Lettuce with a couple strips of wimpy bacon is hardly filling. But adding some starchy potatoes makes these wraps twice as filling as their sandwich sibling. And eating all the juicy bacon, crisp lettuce, fresh tomato, and golden potatoes in a wrap isn’t just more fun than eating it on white bread; it’s healthier too. Plus, tortillas last longer than bread does, so you won’t wind up throwing away your money.

My BLTP Wraps are quite possibly one of the simplest Smart Cookie recipes yet. You only need 5 ingredients, plus they’re so easy that I’m confident a partying frat boy could handle making them. I don’t want to hear any of you undergrads bellyaching about how “you can’t cook,” because these don’t require much actual cooking at all. So As far as prep work goes, all you have to do is pop some bacon and frozen, pre-cut potatoes in the oven. That’s about a thousand times easier than taking finals.

Don’t be deceived by the sheer simplicity of these wraps; they’re addicting and delectable. You get the crunch of the bacon, the crisp of the lettuce, the juiciness of the tomatoes, and the tenderness of the potatoes in every bite. Even if you’re cooking for picky roommates, there’s no way they won’t love these simple but delicious wraps. They’re just like the BLT sandwiches mom used to make…only better!

College student or not, everyone will love such an easy and tasty meal. Enjoy a wrap stuffed with all you favorites without slaving in the kitchen. You can have this meal on the table in under 30 minutes.

A Few Tips Before You Get Cooking:

1. Sweet potatoes would be just as delicious as regular potatoes.
2. Fresh potatoes are cheaper than frozen, but frozen will save you a lot of time and effort.
3. Although whole wheat tortillas are more expensive, I do recommend using them because they’re much better for you and they’re heartier. My favorite kind are the 70-calorie whole wheat tortillas by Joseph’s.
4. A little cheddar cheese wouldn’t hurt in these wraps…
5. I recommend turkey bacon. It’s much better for you than regular bacon. Or, try a meat-free substitute instead.
6. Find the diced frozen roasted potatoes I used in the freezer aisle of your grocery store. If you can’t find them, use the potatoes o’ brien.

BLTP Wraps
By The Smart Cookie Cook

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 8-12 slices of bacon*
• 1 bag Ore-Ida Roasted Original Potatoes
• 2 ripe red tomatoes, sliced
• iceberg lettuce
• 4 tortillas (I recommend whole wheat)

*Make 8 slices of bacon if you’d like 2 slices per wrap or make 12 slices of bacon if you’d like 3 slices per wrap.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Lay the bacon slices out in an even layer and bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown and crisped to your liking. Remove bacon from tray and lay on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess grease.
2. Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees. Lay the potatoes out in an even layer on the baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown, turning halfway through.
3. Lay a handful of lettuce on a tortilla. Add 2-3 slices of tomato and 2-3 slices of bacon. Top with a hearty pile of potatoes. Fold up the wrap like a burrito and enjoy.