Homemade Freezer Burritos

Earlier this week I talked about my rushed morning go-to breakfast {and how I avoid letting eggs expire}. Now I want to share another little go-to we've adopted recently. Some nights we're either too rushed, too tired, or too unmotivated to make dinner. Those are the nights that we rely on these bad boys {they are great for lunch too!}. 

I started making individually wrapped frozen burritos a few months ago. They are tasty, simple, and can be as healthy as you'd like them to be, which can help reduce some of the negative side effects other burritos might have. Trust me, you will thank yourself for taking the time to make these. It takes under an hour to prepare about 10-12 frozen burritos, and under 5 minutes to reheat and enjoy. Here's how:

Start by preparing the rice. I used brown rice, cooked according to the box, and then added a chopped onion and some spicy diced tomatoes. I allowed the rice to cook a little bit longer so the juices from the tomatoes were absorbed. 

While the rice was cooking, I prepared the other ingredients. You can basically add whatever you want to your burrito, as long as it freezes well {i.e. lettuce probably doesn't freeze and reheat very well}. I added black beans, corn, green chilies, hot sauce and sour cream mixture, cheese, and refried beans {not pictured} 

I don't always cook like I'm on a cooking show with everything in the perfect measurements in glass bowls, but for this I find it's easier to have everything out and ready to put straight on the tortilla. 

After the rice is ready, I wrap the tortillas in a damp towel appropriate for the microwave. Heat them for one minute, this makes them less likely to rip or tear when you're folding them. By the way, when I say appropriate I mean something that can be tossed in the microwave and that covers the tortillas nicely, the towel doesn't need to be suitable for dinner with the in-laws. 

During that minute, get your foil for wrapping the burritos ready. Then set up your assembly line of deliciousness. 

What are those framed pictures, you ask? Those are just some amazing pictures of our nieces

Pictured left: Not so happy niece getting a bath in the NYC sink, a far cry from her "baby spa" back in Ohio. Pictured right: Not so happy niece ready to yank the tray off the highchair because she is not being served in a timely manner. They make us laugh everyday. 

Ok, back to the burritos. Now add the ingredients in whatever order you'd like. I started with the refried beans, then rice, black beans, corn, green chilies, sour cream mixture, and cheese. To make rolling them up easier, add the ingredients slightly closer to one side, not in the center. 

I'm not gonna lie, rolling a burrito is not the easiest thing. However, after about the 3rd one, I was ready to walk into Chipotle with an application and "burrito rolling connoisseur" on my resume. Let's break it down. 

Start by folding up the sides. 

With your thumbs, fold the end up.

Pressing down with your middle finger, continue to push your thumbs over the food. 

Tuck. And Roll. 

Please disregard my super awesome 80's sweater, sometimes I set my baseline for looking good on the lower end. 

Ok so maybe it's not Chipolte worthy, but it contains all the goodness which is what I need it to do. Wrap it up in the foil and you're finished! 

I only had 8 burrito tortillas, but had enough ingredients for 10, easily. So if following this recipe, try to find a pack of 10 or 12. 

When you're ready to enjoy, remove the foil, wrap the burrito in a damp paper towel and microwave. I poke a hole in the center with a fork and microwave for 3-4 minutes. 

What is your go-to meal when you're in a rush? 

Thanks for visiting!