Whether as a quick lunch on the go or an easy dinner when the refrigerator is bare, frozen burritos may satisfy our hunger pangs, but not much else. We set out to create flavorful burritos that could with stand being stored in the freezer. To streamline our filling, we swapped the traditional stewed and shredded meat for easy ground beef. Mashing half of the beans gave our filling a creamy consistency, and a generous amount of spices contributed bold flavor. White rice, cooked in chicken broth with garlic, along with a good amount of fresh cilantro and sharp cheddar cheese rounded out our flavorful filling. Reheating the burritos was as simple as microwaving them for a few minutes, and a quick run under the broiler melted and browned the cheesy topping. Serve with hot sauce and sour cream.
Ingredients
- 2⅔ cups chicken broth
- 1 cup long-grain white rice
- 8 garlic cloves, minced Salt
- ⅓ cup minced fresh cilantro
- 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 onion, chopped fine
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
- 1 pound 90 percent lean ground beef
- 4 teaspoons lime juice
- 8 (10-inch) flour tortillas
- 12 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (3 cups)
- Bring 2 cups broth, rice, half of garlic, and 1 teaspoon salt to boil in small saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until rice is tender and all liquid has been absorbed, about 20 minutes. Off heat, let sit, covered, for 10 minutes. Add cilantro, fluff rice with fork, and set aside to cool.
- Meanwhile, using potato masher, coarsely mash half of beans with remaining ⅔ cup broth in medium bowl. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, cumin, oregano, chile powder, and remaining garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add ground beef and cook, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add mashed bean mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until combined, about 1 minute. Stir in lime juice, 1 teaspoon salt, and remaining whole beans. Let filling cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat broiler. Line rimmed baking sheet with foil. Wrap tortillas in clean dish towel; microwave until soft and pliable, about 90 seconds.
- Arrange tortillas on counter. Divide rice, beef-and-bean filling, and 2 cups cheddar evenly over bottom halves of tortillas, leaving 1-to 2-inch border at edge. Fold sides of each tortilla over filling, fold bottom of tortilla over sides and filling, and roll tightly into burrito.
- Transfer burritos to prepared baking sheet and sprinkle tops with remaining 1 cup cheese. Broil until cheese is melted and starting to brown, 3 to 5 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through broiling. Serve.
