Bean Burritos

Make your own frozen burritos! They reheat well in a microwave or toaster oven, so go ahead and make a large batch. To make 10, you will need:

• 45 oz. canned or about 3 cups cooked beans: black, kidney, pinto, red, and pink beans all work well
• 1 small onion or 1/2 large onion
• 1/2 bell pepper and/or 1/2 cup black olives
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed, or 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 Tbsp. chili powder
• salt to taste
• 1/2 lb. cheddar or jack cheese
• 10 large flour tortillas
• olive oil or other cooking oil
• mixing bowl
• large skillet
• colander
• waxed paper, or plastic liner bags saved from cereal or cracker boxes
• 2 gallon-size plastic bags with zip-tops, or equivalent freezer packaging

Drain and rinse beans in colander. Mash or puree kidney beans. You may mash softer beans or not, as you prefer; I think the best texture comes from mashing about half of them and leaving the rest whole.

Dice onion and pepper. Brown with garlic in oil in skillet. Meanwhile, grate cheese. If adding olives, chop them and mix them into the beans.

Mix beans, onion mixture, and seasonings in bowl. If you are going to eat some burritos right away, scoop enough filling for each burrito into skillet and heat it before the next step.

Sprinkle cheese in a line across center of one tortilla, ending about 1 inch from each edge. Scoop some filling over cheese and distribute evenly. Fold ends of tortilla over filling. Fold one side up, then roll. Repeat with each tortilla.

Wrap each burrito in waxed paper. Put several together in a bag. Close the zip-top most of the way. Press air out of the bag, then use your mouth to suck out as much air as you can before closing the zip-top. (This prevents frost from forming inside the bag to make your burritos soggy and freezer-flavored.)

Reheat a burrito by removing from waxed paper and microwaving on a plate for 1-2 minutes or heating on a pan in toaster oven at 350F for 7-10 minutes (keep an eye on it!).

You can make a batch of these and a batch of Sweet Potato Burritos in an hour and have 20 quick lunches ready to go!  They’re good in the freezer for at least 3 months.