Make-Ahead Freezer Burritos

Name: Make-Ahead Freezer Burritos
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup Cooked Black Beans (can be canned or homecooked); 2 Tbsp Mexican-Inspired Spice Mix; 6 Large Tortilla Wraps; 2 1/4 cup Refried Beans (can be canned or dehydrated refried beans); 2 Red Bell Peppers (diced); 2 Stalks Green Onion (thinly sliced); 1 1/4 cup Canned Corn (drained); 1/2 cup Fresh Cilantro (opt.); 1/2 cup Sliced Black Olives (opt.); 1/2 cup Pickled Jalapeno Slices (opt.)

Food Literacy StudentsOctober 27, 2023September 2, 2023Leave a Comment

These burritos work great for students, busy moms, school lunches, and honestly just about anything!

I don’t know about you guys, but I often find that I just don’t have time to cook! I always have good intentions to eat well during the week, but then I get busy and end up eating a granola bar for breakfast, going out for lunch, and having a bowl of cereal for dinner. I know, these are not the best food choices I could be making…but I’m sure we can relate on some level.

What I need in my life is something freezable and easy to warm up in my microwaves at school. Make-ahead freezer burritos are seriously life savers on those busy days when you just don’t have time to make food.

It’s also SUPER AFFORABLE. Here is a breakdown of all the ingredients, their costs, and the final cost per burrito:

Ingredient	Amount	AP Unit Cost	Recipe Ingredient Cost
Cooked Black Beans	1 1/2 cups (170g)	$0.72/15.25 oz can (15.25 oz = 2 cups)	$0.54
Mexican-inspired Spice Mix (I used: Badia Andrew Zimmern Mexican Fiesta All-Purpose Seasoning)	2 Tbsp (18 g)	$2.97/4.5 oz (4.5 oz = 9 Tbsp)	$0.66
Tortilla wraps	6 Large	$2.48/10 ct pkg	$1.49
Refried Beans (Dehydrated Refried Beans)	2⅓ cups (555 g)	$2.24/30 oz can (16 oz = 3.75 cups)	$1.40
Red Bell Peppers (diced)	2 whole peppers	$1.38 each	$2.76
Green Onion (thinly sliced)	2 stalks	$0.88/ bunch	$0.25
Canned Corn (drained)	1¼ cups (176 g)	$0.54/ 14.5 oz can (14.5 oz = 1.8 cups)	$0.38
Fresh Cilantro	½ cup (8 g)	$0.88/ bunch	$0.44
Sliced Black Olives	½ cup (68 g)	$1.52/ 3.8 oz (3.8 oz = ½ cup)	$1.52
Pickled Jalapeno Slices (opt.)	½ cup (75 g)	$1.43/ 15.5 oz jar (15.5 oz = 2 cups)	$0.35
Total Recipe Cost		$15.04	$9.79
Cost per serving (6 servings)			$1.63

That’s only $1.63 per burrito! The items that are underlined are items you can get through the SNAC program at USU, if you don’t attend USU these items are usually found at local food pantries as well.

Here are some other ideas on how to make your meal more budget friendly:

Buy generic brands
Choose veggies that are in season
Buy in bulk
You don’t have to put everything in your burrito either, pick and choose your favorite/the cheapest options for the inside of your burritos

Aside from being cheap, these burritos are also super easy and quick to make. It probably took me a total of 40 min, including making the video.

Ready for the the best part? This recipe requires just 5 simple steps!

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C)

Step 2: Mix the beans and the Mexican seasoning.

Step 3: Rinse, dice, slice, drain and veggies and cilantro

Step 4: Add all your chosen ingredients to your tortilla.

Step 5: Bake for 7-10 minutes (Be careful not to overcook!)

Viola! Your burritos are ready to be frozen or eaten right away for a delicious and nutritious meal.

PRO TIP: Substitute beans when a recipe calls for meat. Meat is expensive and eating it in moderation is alright, but the average American eats too much meat. Cutting down on meat consumption is also good for our environment. Beans are a great substitute, especially in something like burritos.

If you like your burritos a little crispier, like I do, then just put them on broil for a couple minutes after cooking. Here are some before and after broiling pictures: