I have two sons, 14 and 9. (Ok, technically they are my stepsons, but I REALLY like them, so I claim them.)

How cool are they? My 14-year-old, my sister and I recently went to the Opera together at HIS request. My 9-year-old and I turned his closet into a spy headquarters. They are beyond cool.

For our first six years together, my sons always had cereal for breakfast. Fast, no cooking, slop it down, done.

My mother-in-law would tell me about waking up and cooking Husband and his two brothers a full hot breakfast every morning. I listened, but getting up at 5:30 a.m. and cooking has always sounded like a level of Hell that Dante forgot, so I’d buy another box of cereal. Not Frosted-Whatever-Crunchies, but cereal.

Then, a few things happened. Youngest son started developing a lactose sensitivity, Puberty rendered my Oldest the ability to eat half a box of cereal in one sitting (and still be hungry), and my Husband was spending a minor fortune every week on sausage biscuits. I kept hearing my beloved Mother-in-Law in my subconscious saying, “They deserve better! They deserve a hot breakfast of love!”

I knew something had to change. Meaning, I knew I had to change, but I am not an Alpha Mom. I’m more of a Beta. I needed something that would require little of me in the mornings but provide the men in my life with warm, nutrient-infused, love bombs. So, after some tinkering, we came up with the perfect solution: the Beta Mom Breakfast Burrito.

It has drastically changed my life, my men’s lives and the love acquired before 6 a.m.

My secret is that I make all 15 breakfast burritos (that’s five days of breakfast for my three men) on Sundays and then freeze them, so I can warm them up as needed the rest of the week.

So, what’s in them? I cover my flour tortillas with a layer of breakfast meat (bacon or turkey sausage), a layer of scrambled eggs with vegetables (my men like onions, peppers, and tomatoes), potatoes (either homemade home fries or tater tots) and Cheddar cheese.

I love being able to control what’s in them, because I can customize them according to each man’s preference and nutritional needs.

It’s a daunting recipe, I know, but once you do it, it will all make sense. And at 5:30 a.m., when you hear the microwave beep as you’re curled up in bed, knowing your oldest is self-sufficient and will not starve until his lunchtime … it is so Beta Mom-fulfilling.

Beta Mom’s Breakfast Burritos

From Jennifer Rather (Ezra Pound Cake)

Makes about 15 burritos

Potato Layer:
• 1 pound potatoes (cut into 1/2″-3/4″ chunks) OR 40 frozen tater tots

Meat Layer:
• 15 slices of bacon OR 23 sausage links

Egg Layer:
• 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 13 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk

• 15 (9-inch) flour tortillas
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• Salt and pepper, to taste

1. If you’re cooking the potatoes from scratch: Place the potato chunks on a large plate, and microwave for 1 minute. Let them cool for 3 minutes. Repeat the heating and cooling process two more times. Grease a nonstick skillet, and place over medium-high heat. Add potatoes, and cover. Cook until brown and crispy, stirring every few minutes to prevent sticking. (This could take up to 20 minutes, depending on how dark you want them.) Cool potatoes completely before assembly. 
2. If you’re using frozen tater tots: Prepare according to package directions, but bake for an additional 10 minutes. Cool completely before assembly.
3. Cook bacon or sausage. Set aside to cool.
4. For the Eggs: Heat olive oil or butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add vegetables, and sauté until they are soft and begin to brown about 10 minutes. In the meantime, whisk together the eggs and milk. Add the egg mixture to the veggies, and scramble to cook. Allow them to cool before assembly.
5. To Fill the Burritos: Working in batches, warm 4 tortillas according to package directions. Place them on a baking sheet, and layer about 1/4 of your fillings on top of these 4 tortillas in the following order – meat, eggs, potatoes and about 1 tablespoon cheese per tortilla. Add salt and pepper, to taste.
6. For each burrito, fold the sides of the tortilla in, and roll from the bottom to the top.
7. Repeat the process with the rest of your ingredients, warming and filling the tortillas in batches of 4.
8. Place your finished burritos on a baking sheet, and freeze for 1 hour. Then wrap each one in a paper towel, and place them in freezer bags.
9. To Reheat the Burritos: Wrap the burrito in a damp paper towel. Microwave for 3 minutes at 50% power. Then microwave for 1 minute on full power.