How To Make a Taco for Infants
If you have ambitions of getting tacos into the pie hole of your infant or toddler but can’t quite figure out the logistics of getting a small child to eat a multi-ingredient/multi-texture dish, we have one word for you: baleada. Central American in origin, it consists of a flat flour tortilla spread with refried beans, white cheese, and whatever else strikes you–a real blank canvas, and one soft enough for even young toddlers. The version here tries to strike a balance between typical and true flavors of Central and South America with what older infants and (younger toddlers) like: creamy and rich or sweet flavors like avocado, bananas, and cheese. Keep the beans-and-cheese-on-a-soft-tortilla base but adapt as you and/or your toddler see fit.
Heads up: get ready to smash and smooth a bunch of t’ngs…
- 1/4 can Black Beans
- dried Cilantro
- 1 small Avocado
- Small Flour Tortillas (often marketed as “street tacos”)
- 1 Plantain, ripe (In a pinch, you can use a banana, but make sure it still has a bit f firmness to it)
- Queso Fresco (or shredded white cheese)
- Lime
- Rinse and dry the black beans. Place just enough water into a small pot or saucepan to cover the bottom and heat on Low; pour in black beans and a drizzle of olive oil, and allow to heat for roughly 3-5 minutes. Once soft, squeeze in the juice of the lime and sprinkle cilantro all over; mix. Using a fork or potato masher, smash the beans down until the form a chunky paste. Remove from heat.
- Slice the banana into thick coins. Heat a small pan with some oil in it to Medium; when hot, place banana slices into pan and cook until just slightly caramelized and soft roughly 2 minutes per side. Remove from heat and set aside.
Smash down innards of the avocado until it forms a chunky puree (or make guacamole with it).
- Spread the black bean mix over one side of the tortilla and avocado on the other; place a few banana slices and crumbled or shredded cheese in between.
- Drape one side of the tortilla onto the other and press down to adhere to the ingredients.
Heat a pan to Medium, adding a bit of cooking spray or oil if needed; when hot, place stuffed tortilla in and cook until outside is just starting to crisp, roughly 20 seconds; flip and do the same for the other side. Remove from heat.
Your kiddo may want for something red and tangy–salsa? ketchup?–to dip; otherwise, this one is good to go. I usually keep the tortilla whole for the first few bites so that my son can get acquainted with the flavors inside and the structure of a taco; that often means holding it up for my son until he lets me know how he wants to eat it.
As noted at the outset, lots of different modifications are possible on this one: swap out the bananas and add in some eggs; go the meaty route and add in some ground pork or meat; or keep it minimalist and just do beans and cheese. Soft and sweet: those are the only rules.
Brad (the Dad) is the founder and Chief Recipe Officer of New Dad's Kitchen. His own cooking/feeding journey started humbly during his son's infancy, preparing and managing his son's bottle intake in order to support his wife; it has since blossomed into a full-on passion to feed his child and family delicious and healthy meals that can satisfy both a toddler and his very tired parents.
