If you know how to make burritos, you have an inexpensive, tasty dinner choice

Burritos are a wonderful way to make dinner easy and affordable.  The options for filling these delicious Tex-Mex wraps are almost endless,  All you need are some tortillas, a few choices for fillings and seasoning. 

In fact, you may find that you already knew how to make burritos after all when you read through these simple directions. But just in case, here are step by step instructions, and lots of great ideas for filling and even freezing burritos for quick make-ahead meals.

Burrito basics

Tortillas

It all starts with the tortilla.  Make your own flour or corn wraps or use store-bought tortillas. These will keep the rest of your burrito together.  Most grocery stores carry a variety of traditional tortillas in the bread or refrigerated food sections.  You can select white or whole wheat flour, corn flour, low-carb, flavored, or even newer gluten-free tortillas.

Fillings

When it comes to filling your tortillas, the sky’s the limit. While burritos were traditionally filled with meat or beans, you can choose your favorite foods to fill yours.  Burritos are also a great way to use leftovers.

Here are some traditional…and not so traditional….burrito filling ideas

• Beef, chicken, pork or turkey chopped or shredded
• Fish or shellfish (cooked salmon, small shrimp, shredded lobster, etc.)
• Beans (black or red are traditional,, but white beans, lentils and chickpeas also work well)
• Tofu
• Cheeses of any kind
• Shredded fresh vegetables
• Finely diced fresh vegetables
• Leftover cooked vegetables
• Rice
• Pasta (orzo works especially well)
• Sausages, crumbled, sliced thin or chopped
• Seitan
• Veggie “meats”  (meat substitutes)
• Cooked potatoes, cubed, chopped or mashed
• Eggs boiled or scrambled

Seasonings and Sauces

The fillings you’ve selected for your burritos will determine the seasonings and sauces that will work best.

For instance, if you’ve filled your burrito with chicken, spinach and feta cheese, a Greek style lemon yogurt sauce would work best.  For a more traditional burrito, salsa or tomato sauce with cumin, oregano, red pepper and garlic would be a better choice. 

Use a ready-made sauce or create one of your own to match the fillings you’ve selected.  Look online for crepe sauces for new ideas.
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Putting It All Together

Ingredients:

Tortillas
Fillings
Sauce

Directions:

Burritos can either be filled with hot ingredients and eaten immediately, or baked. 

• Warm tortillas in the oven in a covered pan or over a steamer.  Or place each one on paper towel in the microwave for 10-15 seconds.
• Place enough cooked and warmed filling to cover about 1/2 of the warm tortilla, just to the right of the center. Leave about an inch at the top and the bottom with no filling
• Fold in the top and bottom of the tortilla, folding over the filling
• Starting at the side of the tortilla closest to the filling, roll the burrito, tucking the top and bottom against the filling as you roll
• Top with sauce of your choice

For baked burritos:

Follow steps above then:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Lightly spray the bottom of a baking pan (use a pan large enough to lay all burritos on the bottom without overlapping)
• Spread a thin layer of your sauce on the bottom of the pan
• Place a single layer of burritos in the pan
• Top with additional sauce.  Be generous.
• Add cheese, if desired
• Cover tightly with foil
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes to heat through

To Freeze and Serve Later

You can freeze individual burritos for after school snacks or lunch boxes.  Wrap baked or unbaked burritos tightly in heavy duty foil.  Place wrapped burritos in a freezer bag and seal. Reheat on a microwave safe plate (remember to remove the foil, first!)

You can also freeze the entire pan of burritos.  Assemble the pan as above, but do not bake. Cover tightly with two layers of foil.

To bake, remove pan from freezer, leaving foil in place.  Leave the pan on the counter while the oven preheats to 350 degrees. Place pan in oven on center rack.  Bake for 30-50 minutes (depending on pan size) or until burritos are hot to center.