Make Ahead: Bean & Cheese Burritos

One of the biggest drawbacks (have I mentioned this before??? *winks*) to cooking from scratch is the convenience factor. Not having a box of stuff that comes together in 10 minutes or a quick little chemical filled concoction from the freezer isle that can be zapped in 60 seconds can be a real challenge. This is where we have to get creative. Oh, and talk about frugal…so much cheaper than the junk stuff you can buy at the store.

I’ve been making my own make ahead bean and cheese burritos for a while now. Not only is it something that I can pull out of the freezer at the last minute and throw into a casserole pan with some homemade red enchilada sauce from the freezer and make delicious smothered burritos in 30 minutes from freezer to table, but the KIDS can get themselves a little somethin’ somethin’ when they’re starving and driving their poor overworked and underpaid mother to the brink. AND they LOVE doing things for themselves. It makes life so good.

First, you gather your ingredients….it’s easy….tortillas (you can find my tortilla mix recipe here), re-fried beans, and grated cheese. That wasn’t so hard, was it?

Then you grab some plastic wrap, a gallon freezer bag, and a permanent marker.

Heat your tortillas a few at a time in the microwave to make them easier to fold.

I pull out a length of plastic wrap and place my tortilla on top, then add a pinch (a couple of tablespoons) of grated cheese….you can do cheddar, colby/jack, or monterey jack….even pepperjack if you have adventurous eaters.

 

Then put about a 1/4 cup of re-fried beans on your cheese. **Quick tip….if your re-fried beans are COLD, it makes assembly SO MUCH EASIER! Trust me on this.

 

 

Fold the bottom half of the tortilla up onto the beans and cheese.

 

Then fold in the sides of the tortilla…..

 

And then continue rolling until you have a little piece of heavenly…semi-Latin cuisine in front of you.

 

Wrap in the plastic wrap.

 

Add to your growing gallon freezer bag of kid friendly/mom loving burritos.

 

Be sure to label with the date and contents. ALSO…..take it from someone who is forever looking for SOMETHING….put the instructions right there on the bag….it’ll make life a whole lot easier. That way you don’t have to search for them, and the kids can figure them out for themselves when they’re cooking up a little snack.

Stay tuned….Friday I’ll be posting a quick shortcut recipe for some yummy re-fried beans for you!

Make Ahead Frozen Bean & Cheese Burritos

Ingredients:

• tortillas
• re-fried beans
• cheese

Supplies:

• plastic wrap
• zip top freezer bag, gallon size
• permanent marker

Instructions:

1. Heat tortillas (a few at a time) in the microwave for 10-20 seconds to make them easier to roll.
2. Pull out a length of plastic wrap and place a tortilla on top.
3. Place 2 tablespoons of grated cheese on the bottom half of the tortilla.
4. Place 1/4 cup re-fried beans (COLD is best) on top of the cheese.
5. Fold up the bottom half of the tortilla over the beans and cheese.
6. Fold in sides.
7. Continue to roll until it looks like…..a burrito!
8. Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze in zip top gallon freezer bag.
9. To reheat: Remove plastic and bake on cookie sheet at 350º for 15-20 minutes, OR microwave wrapped in a damp paper towel for 1-2 minutes until warmed through.

Enjoy!

Do YOU have any make ahead menu items that you do ahead of time to make life easier for YOUR family?