This year we’ve been doing a lot of meal prep … that is, building multiple meals at one time and packaging them for later.
Usually these meals are lunches, the meal we are most likely to eat on the go.
There’s scads of online info and recipes about meal prep so we’re not going to recreate that here. However, we would like to share a favorite make ahead lunch … Quick Chicken Burritos.
The best meal preps require only simple food techniques and ingredients. These burritos are super easy to prepare and make a satisfying and delicious meal. The recipe is very flexible, allowing you to add or substitute ingredients.
One final note, you are making multiple meals which will need to be packed and most likely frozen. Amazon is full of systems and it is actually interesting to check out what they offer.
For these burritos we use squares of aluminum foil. It is a simple deli style wrap and the burritos are ready for oven reheat which is the best way to serve. If you’re in a real hurry they do microwave.
Chicken Burritos
Ingredients
- 2 tsps olive oil
- 1/2 red onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 red pepper chopped
- 1/2 jalapeno pepper chopped
- 15 oz low-sodium black beans one can
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 tsp dried urfa chili
- 1 tsp taco seasoning
- 2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast 2 - 12.5oz cans
- 2 cups kale chopped
- 1 cup cheddar cheese grated
- 2 Tbsp cilantro minced
- 1/2 tsp lime zest
- 1 Tbsp lime jucie 1 small lime
- 1/.4 tsp salt
- 8 10-inch tortillas
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring often, until the onion starts to soften, about 2 minutes. Add beans, water and dry seasonings; bring to a simmer, mashing beans slightly with the back of a spatula. Stir in chicken and kale; cook until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Scrape contents of skillet into a large mixing bowl. Add cheddar, cilantro, zest, juice and salt. Mix until well blended. Measure 1/2 cup filling onto a tortilla and roll, folding over the ends burrito style. allow to cool. Should make 8 burritos.
- Tear off four 6 inch strips of aluminum foil and then tear these in half. Lay a burrito diagonally on a foil square, fold up the lower third over the burrito and roll once, then fold over the far corner. Roll once more and fold over the near corner, and then complete the wrap. Place in freezer for up to a month.
- Reheat burritos by placing in a cold oven set to 350º. When the oven comes to temp wait about 5 minutes and burritos should be nicely warmed up. Alternatively you can un-wrap and place in microwave for 3 minutes on high