Frozen Bean and Cheese Burritos
self care is actually just stocking your freezer with a big batch of these
We’ve started adding frozen items to the menu more often and bean and cheese burritos were the most recent addition. They far surpassed my expectations and our customers seemed to love them.
They’re great for stocking your own freezer, but also a welcome offering to anyone in your life welcoming a baby, moving into a new home, or whoever you love the most. These are simple to make, but after making a whole mess of them, I’ve learned a few things:
Be patient when cooking down your onions and peppers before adding the beans. This is the base of the flavor and if you don’t caramelize them enough before adding the beans and liquid, they will never develop that deep flavor that makes these vegetarian beans taste rich and satisfying.
Add baking soda to the beans, in the initial cooking stage, to make them extra creamy and cook faster.
These are the tortillas! They’re elastic and chewy and reheat like a dream. If you can’t find these, I’d avoid ones that include baking soda in the ingredients because those tend to be more puffy than chewy and dry out when reheated.
Don’t overfill. These are not meant to be big fat burritos, so reel it in. The danger is that the beans and cheese can seep out of the tortillas when reheated. The minimal fillings means that there isn’t a lot to absorb excess liquid. I think about 1/2 cup of filling is the perfect amount.
Be patient when cooking down the beans. You’re looking for a thicker consistency than if you were making refried beans to serve as a side.
Use Monterey Jack cheese rather than a sharp cheddar. Younger cheeses yield a better cheese pull than aged cheeses. A sharp cheddar, for example, doesn’t melt as well. You want something mild and melty.
Freeze the burritos before wrapping them. I find that if you wrap them in parchment before freezing them, the paper ends up sticking to the tortillas.
Frozen Bean and Cheese Burritos
Ingredients:
Yield:6 burritos
