{"id":1574,"date":"2015-10-16T07:00:28","date_gmt":"2015-10-16T07:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/betondinner.com\/?p=1574"},"modified":"2018-03-09T02:38:57","modified_gmt":"2018-03-09T02:38:57","slug":"veggie-packed-baked-burritos-for-the-freezer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/betondinner.com\/veggie-packed-baked-burritos-for-the-freezer\/","title":{"rendered":"Veggie-Packed Baked Burritos (for the freezer)."},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Veggie-packed<\/a><\/p>\n

I’m just going to say it: I love a chimichanga in a painful, star-crossed-lovers kind of way. I know in my head that stuffing a big tortilla with stuff<\/del> cheese and deep-frying it isn’t, y’know, exactly sensible, in a\u00a0caring-about-your-health kind of way, but in a crispy, cheesy, delicious way – in my heart, in other words – it not only makes perfect sense but is basically essential. Fortunately\/unfortunately, I don’t eat out a lot and so my opportunities to order chimichangas don’t come around all that often. And deep-frying things at home isn’t an adventure I’ve embarked on.<\/p>\n

But the good news is, there is a compromise for my taste buds, and it comes in the form of veggie-packed baked burritos. Even more exciting, the burritos are a perfect freezer meal, and (since you bake them after they’re thawed) they’re just as crispy, melty-cheesy, spicy-meaty as they are if you bake them immediately!<\/p>\n

Start with an onion and a pepper. Stir them around in a skillet with some hot olive oil and let them begin to cook and soften.<\/p>\n

\"onions<\/a><\/p>\n

Push the vegetables to the side and increase the heat, and add a little more oil to the middle of the pan. Add the ground turkey (or beef, whichever you prefer) and let it brown for a couple of minutes, then break it up with a wooden spoon or spatula and stir it around until it’s cooked through.<\/p>\n

\"adding<\/a><\/p>\n

Add the spices and a cup of whatever salsa you love. Throw in a couple of big handfuls of spinach and stir until the spinach wilts – and continue to cook the meat mixture until it’s saucy, but not so liquidy that it will make your tortillas soggy! It took a couple of minutes for me, but it will mostly depend on the consistency of the salsa you use.<\/p>\n

\"making<\/a><\/p>\n

Then you need a little assembly line! Baked burrito filling, tortillas, shredded cheese, and a foil-lined baking sheet.<\/p>\n

\"assembly<\/a><\/p>\n

I like to divide the filling into rough quadrants in the skillet to help me portion it out into the burritos. To make 8 burritos, just use half of each quadrant (or about 1\/3 cup of the filling mixture) per tortilla. Plop the meat on the side of the tortilla closest to you, then top with a generous couple of tablespoons of cheese (I mean, the moderation has to stop somewhere, right?). I really like to put the cheese on top (or what will become the bottom of the burrito when it bakes) since it forms a barrier between the filling and the tortilla and helps prevent sogginess. The melting cheese also helps the bottom of the tortilla get brown and crispy!<\/p>\n

\"rolling<\/a><\/p>\n

Fold the sides of the burrito in toward the center and roll the burrito away from you, tucking the filling in as you roll. Place the burrito seam-side down on the baking sheet. You can flash freeze and then store the burritos at this point, or bake with a drizzle of olive oil for crispy baked burrito perfection!<\/p>\n

\"baked<\/a><\/p>\n

I always, always serve these with a huge (like, way more than I would eat for a normal side salad) pile of chopped romaine lettuce and Roma tomatoes. I love the contrast of the fresh, crunchy lettuce with the heat (both temperature and spiciness!) of the burrito. I treat it like a mega-garnish, but if you could also add a dressing, like this super simple lime vinaigrette<\/a>\u00a0[love that salad, btw!] or a creamy avocado cilantro dressing<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Veggie-packed<\/a><\/p>\nPrint<\/a>

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