Freezer burrito fillings!
November 13, 2017 9:18 AM Subscribe
I'm making these for a friend who just had a baby. Help me think of things to put in them.
Eats meet, and no food restrictions, except she tends not to enjoy strongly spiced foods, and is on the record as not liking either Mexican or Indian food. Her taste generally runs to mac and cheese, burgers, and kugel. She does not like blue cheese.
Any other thoughts? So far, I have:
Egg, sausage, and cheese
Rotisserie chicken with caramelized onions, rice, and roasted butternut squash.
??????????????????????
She really really really loves both brisket and mac and cheese, so I was thinking of making that and putting it into a wrap, except I don't know how that would hold up to being reheated in the microwave after being in the freezer. (The burrito format is kinda preferred because she's doing this solo, and also breastfeeding, so there is another human physically attached to her for approximately 2893102983712379 minutes a day.)
Eats meet, and no food restrictions, except she tends not to enjoy strongly spiced foods, and is on the record as not liking either Mexican or Indian food. Her taste generally runs to mac and cheese, burgers, and kugel. She does not like blue cheese.
Any other thoughts? So far, I have:
She really really really loves both brisket and mac and cheese, so I was thinking of making that and putting it into a wrap, except I don't know how that would hold up to being reheated in the microwave after being in the freezer. (The burrito format is kinda preferred because she's doing this solo, and also breastfeeding, so there is another human physically attached to her for approximately 2893102983712379 minutes a day.)
The Kitchn has a roasted vegetable freezer burrito recipe that rocks- broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, beans, rice and cheese. I am also postpartum and have a gajillion of these burritos in the freezer right this minute. They are heaven.
I would also suggest making lasagna, portioning and freezing it for her. It’s really filling and calorie dense and a nice change of pace from the burritos. Bring a bagged salad and leave a slice or two of lasagna unfrozen for immediate enjoyment.
You’re an awesome friend for doing this!
posted by PorcineWithMe at 9:57 AM on November 13, 2017 [2 favorites]
I would also suggest making lasagna, portioning and freezing it for her. It’s really filling and calorie dense and a nice change of pace from the burritos. Bring a bagged salad and leave a slice or two of lasagna unfrozen for immediate enjoyment.
You’re an awesome friend for doing this!
posted by PorcineWithMe at 9:57 AM on November 13, 2017 [2 favorites]
Oh! And why not make a Mac & Cheese casserole and portion it for freezing? Handheld stuff is great, but they’re not attached to the breast all the time ( it just feels like it)
posted by PorcineWithMe at 10:04 AM on November 13, 2017
posted by PorcineWithMe at 10:04 AM on November 13, 2017
I made freezer breakfast burritos the other day and here are my thoughts -
- use the small size tortillas, normal size wraps are just too unwieldy especially if she will be doing this kinda one-handed
- Scramble the eggs beforehand and allow to cool to room temp, this reduces the water content
- I usually put cheese in my eggs but I actually liked the plain eggs better in this case
- I added roasted potatoes (cut into small bite size pieces) and onions, seasoned with salt pepper cumin and oregano; next time I will fry them because they were a little mushy once reheated
- I used bacon and next time I will use sausage instead, I think the sausage will distribute better
- I put the cheese on the bottom of the wrap so everything wouldn't slide around when reheated
-Bring a jar of salsa to accompany
I think a brisket wrap sounds amazing but it would need to be shredded, with BBQ sauce. If I wasn't freezing these, I would add cole slaw, pickle slices and pickled onions, but I think for freezing purposes, stick with just pickled onions to give crunch. Maybe pickle slices would be ok but that's something she can have on the side and it might be better that way.
In the handheld food vein, would she like empanadillas or pasteles? I haven't used those particular recipes but they could be perfect for this. Be forewarned, pasteles are A LOT of work and will take an entire day. As a matter of fact the breakfast burritos above took a lot longer than I thought they would, so if you're making large quantities of any of these, give yourself a whole day to do it.
Cool now I need a burrito
posted by tatiana wishbone at 10:09 AM on November 13, 2017 [1 favorite]
- use the small size tortillas, normal size wraps are just too unwieldy especially if she will be doing this kinda one-handed
- Scramble the eggs beforehand and allow to cool to room temp, this reduces the water content
- I usually put cheese in my eggs but I actually liked the plain eggs better in this case
- I added roasted potatoes (cut into small bite size pieces) and onions, seasoned with salt pepper cumin and oregano; next time I will fry them because they were a little mushy once reheated
- I used bacon and next time I will use sausage instead, I think the sausage will distribute better
- I put the cheese on the bottom of the wrap so everything wouldn't slide around when reheated
-Bring a jar of salsa to accompany
I think a brisket wrap sounds amazing but it would need to be shredded, with BBQ sauce. If I wasn't freezing these, I would add cole slaw, pickle slices and pickled onions, but I think for freezing purposes, stick with just pickled onions to give crunch. Maybe pickle slices would be ok but that's something she can have on the side and it might be better that way.
In the handheld food vein, would she like empanadillas or pasteles? I haven't used those particular recipes but they could be perfect for this. Be forewarned, pasteles are A LOT of work and will take an entire day. As a matter of fact the breakfast burritos above took a lot longer than I thought they would, so if you're making large quantities of any of these, give yourself a whole day to do it.
Cool now I need a burrito
posted by tatiana wishbone at 10:09 AM on November 13, 2017 [1 favorite]
Bits of baked potato, chunks of marinated zucchini, cheese, sour cream, egg, navy beans...
Rice and beans and rajas con crema...
But I mostly wanted to suggest making them more flavourful than you think they should be. Things blandify a bit in the freezer, so use your hot sauce bottle aggressively!
posted by kmennie at 10:22 AM on November 13, 2017
Rice and beans and rajas con crema...
But I mostly wanted to suggest making them more flavourful than you think they should be. Things blandify a bit in the freezer, so use your hot sauce bottle aggressively!
posted by kmennie at 10:22 AM on November 13, 2017
One tip: stir in some flour (regular, coconut, tapioca, rice, gluten-free mix etc) or ground flaxseed (a tablespoon per 10-12 eggs, ish) to keep the eggs from getting watery when thawed/reheated.
Also, scramble your eggs and bake a shallow sheet of them in a sheet pan or casserole dish. It makes a flatter unit for putting in your burrito and doesn't tend to shed so bad as pan-scrambled.
For protein, I add cottage cheese to my egg mix. But! Dietary restrictions are a thing that happens to breastfeeding people fairly often, when the baby has sensitivities, and dairy is often on the exclusion list. Soy as well, and nuts. So you may not want to use cheese or add any real or substitute dairy to your egg mix.
My favorite is sausage, spinach, and black beans. I use frozen spinach for this, thawed and squeezed like crazy, and then tossed with a sprinkle of flour and some sour cream.
Baked mac and cheese, once cooled, is basically a handheld food thanks to the absorption power of pasta. But if you want to be real clever, make it and cool it, cut in squares, and freeze with a "grip strip" of tortilla/lavash/wrap on one end.
posted by Lyn Never at 10:55 AM on November 13, 2017 [2 favorites]
Also, scramble your eggs and bake a shallow sheet of them in a sheet pan or casserole dish. It makes a flatter unit for putting in your burrito and doesn't tend to shed so bad as pan-scrambled.
For protein, I add cottage cheese to my egg mix. But! Dietary restrictions are a thing that happens to breastfeeding people fairly often, when the baby has sensitivities, and dairy is often on the exclusion list. Soy as well, and nuts. So you may not want to use cheese or add any real or substitute dairy to your egg mix.
My favorite is sausage, spinach, and black beans. I use frozen spinach for this, thawed and squeezed like crazy, and then tossed with a sprinkle of flour and some sour cream.
Baked mac and cheese, once cooled, is basically a handheld food thanks to the absorption power of pasta. But if you want to be real clever, make it and cool it, cut in squares, and freeze with a "grip strip" of tortilla/lavash/wrap on one end.
posted by Lyn Never at 10:55 AM on November 13, 2017 [2 favorites]
Ask what her favorite sandwiches other than burgers are and put those ingredients into a flour tortilla instead of between bread. I've assembled a Reuben Burrito with corned beef, sauerkraut, cheese and dressing as well as a Big Mac burrito with the patties and cheese broken up. If she likes any kind of hot dog/polish sausage, they can go 'pigs in blanket' in tortillas. In fact, I recently got some Pillsbury Crescent Rolls on sale and unrolling them and using two triangles formed into a rectangle, wrapped some Hebrew National Jumbos w/cheese and baked 'em; and now I'm wondering it I (or you) could do other combinations as 'flaky burritos' or 'flaky tostados'. I'm one of those who often can't tell brisket from fajita meat, so anything like that should work and handle freezing/unfreezing. Until recently, I couldn't handle any other than very mild salsa, but there are various Peach/Mango/Pineapple salsas which should be good for condiments for the Mexican-averse. Hey, it's lunch time here on the US Left Coast... now I can't decide what I want...
posted by oneswellfoop at 11:52 AM on November 13, 2017
posted by oneswellfoop at 11:52 AM on November 13, 2017
I would throw rice into any of these, so I didn't explicitly list it:
Black beans + roasted sweet potato (in cubes) + chicken.
Baby spinach/chard/kale/whatever + home fries cooked in Italian seasoning + crumbled Italian sausage
Green beans (blanched and shocked) + browned ground beef (seasoned with lime and fish sauce)
Chopped roasted red pepper (from a jar) + garbonzo beans + shredded cabbage + chicken + Italian seasoning
Chopped up raw sugar snap peas + roasted sweet potato + majoram/oregano + loads of black pepper + browned ground beef
Baby greens + scrambled eggs + crumbled Italian sausage
Green beans + canned kidney beans + chopped roasted red pepper + chicken
And make sure to wrap your burrito the right way.
posted by OrangeDisk at 11:56 AM on November 13, 2017
Black beans + roasted sweet potato (in cubes) + chicken.
Baby spinach/chard/kale/whatever + home fries cooked in Italian seasoning + crumbled Italian sausage
Green beans (blanched and shocked) + browned ground beef (seasoned with lime and fish sauce)
Chopped roasted red pepper (from a jar) + garbonzo beans + shredded cabbage + chicken + Italian seasoning
Chopped up raw sugar snap peas + roasted sweet potato + majoram/oregano + loads of black pepper + browned ground beef
Baby greens + scrambled eggs + crumbled Italian sausage
Green beans + canned kidney beans + chopped roasted red pepper + chicken
And make sure to wrap your burrito the right way.
posted by OrangeDisk at 11:56 AM on November 13, 2017
Rice (fried, plain, risotto), sweet potato, black beans, refried beans, roasted veg, corn, ground beef sauteed with chili powder, shredded chicken, sausage, scrambled eggs, guacamole, salsa, onions, sauteed cabbage, shredded cheese, sour cream. Never all of these things, always salsa. Usually rice, beans, sweet potato, salsa. Breakfast burritos would be nice - rice, beans, scrambled eggs, salsa, bacon or sausage, cheese. I wrap them in waxed paper for ease of microwaving. I don't eat dairy, but sour cream or shredded cheese freeze just fine.
Now I want burritos.
posted by theora55 at 1:45 PM on November 13, 2017
Now I want burritos.
posted by theora55 at 1:45 PM on November 13, 2017
I just finished the last of a batch of bean and cheese burritos and I'm planning on making another batch this week. The beans were pinto beans cooked with ham, onions, caramelized onions, garlic, salt, and oregano. The cheese was store brand medium cheddar. I drained the cooked beans (saving the juice for other uses) and measured 2.5 ounces of beans and 0.5 ounces of cheese for each burrito. I crushed the beans fairly coarsely with a pastry blender, shredded the cheese, mixed them together, and rolled 3 ounces of the mix in each burrito. I vacuum sealed them two in a bag in my FoodSaver and froze them.
The first ones I opened I microwaved from the frozen state and was not pleased because the tortilla was dry and tough. All the rest I let thaw first and that worked better. It took less than a minute to heat one refrigerated burrito.
For the batch I'm making this week, I'm using sharp cheddar and thinking about including raw chopped onion, maybe scallions.
posted by Bruce H. at 3:43 PM on November 13, 2017 [1 favorite]
The first ones I opened I microwaved from the frozen state and was not pleased because the tortilla was dry and tough. All the rest I let thaw first and that worked better. It took less than a minute to heat one refrigerated burrito.
For the batch I'm making this week, I'm using sharp cheddar and thinking about including raw chopped onion, maybe scallions.
posted by Bruce H. at 3:43 PM on November 13, 2017 [1 favorite]
Eggs, feta, hummus, marinated onions, chopped cukes and tomatoes, a dill yogurt sauce. We do this with pita instead of tortillas but I think it would work.
posted by Mr. Yuck at 3:47 PM on November 13, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by Mr. Yuck at 3:47 PM on November 13, 2017 [1 favorite]
I make these all the time! I use large tortillas and store them in large freezer bags separated by rectangles of parchment paper. I second the advice to over-season/spice them before freezing.
I use:
- quinoa (cooked in broth made with bouillon)
- black beans
- red onions and garlic
- zucchini
- bell pepper
- corn
- kale, chopped into small bits
- pureed chipotles in adobo
- avocado and lime juice (added at the end, with the heat off)
- cheddar cheese
I go super heavy on the veggies and black beans, as I want these to be protein-heavy nutritional powerhouses. I let this cool, then divide it among my tortillas and wrap.
I grab a couple when I'm traveling so I'm not dependent on gross airplane food. They travel well. I hope this helps!
posted by aquamvidam at 3:49 PM on November 13, 2017 [1 favorite]
I use:
- quinoa (cooked in broth made with bouillon)
- black beans
- red onions and garlic
- zucchini
- bell pepper
- corn
- kale, chopped into small bits
- pureed chipotles in adobo
- avocado and lime juice (added at the end, with the heat off)
- cheddar cheese
I go super heavy on the veggies and black beans, as I want these to be protein-heavy nutritional powerhouses. I let this cool, then divide it among my tortillas and wrap.
I grab a couple when I'm traveling so I'm not dependent on gross airplane food. They travel well. I hope this helps!
posted by aquamvidam at 3:49 PM on November 13, 2017 [1 favorite]
I would discourage additional hot sauce or extra sharp ingredients for someone who's breastfeeding; infants can be sensitive to strong flavors. I wouldn't suggest blandifying the food deliberately (I certainly didn't), but a small extra kick for mom can be hours of cranky distress for the little one, which loses the whole point of having convenience foods.
"Handheld" is probably not as important as "single-serving portions," but handheld does help a lot. One-hand prep is the important part. (You can spread peanut butter or peel and orange while breastfeeding. It feels like you have accomplished some olympic-level feat, and nobody who hasn't tried it will have any idea what you're bragging about.)
Eggs are iffy; it's hard to microwave-reheat them and have them not turn into rubber. Ideally, you want a mix of foods of the same density, and foods that it won't matter if they're overcooked on reheating. Rice-beans-meat-cheese works out nicely; Eggs-hashbrowns-bacon-veggies is harder to balance.
Hashbrowns, peanut butter & jam would probably work; might have to let it cool a bit so the jam isn't napalm.
Rice, loose ground beef, couple types of cheese would work. Add bacon and condiments of choice for a "cheeseburger burrito."
Mac & cheese burritos with meat-bits of choice (bacon? Shredded brisket? ground beef or sausage?) would probably be fine.
posted by ErisLordFreedom at 5:22 PM on November 13, 2017
"Handheld" is probably not as important as "single-serving portions," but handheld does help a lot. One-hand prep is the important part. (You can spread peanut butter or peel and orange while breastfeeding. It feels like you have accomplished some olympic-level feat, and nobody who hasn't tried it will have any idea what you're bragging about.)
Eggs are iffy; it's hard to microwave-reheat them and have them not turn into rubber. Ideally, you want a mix of foods of the same density, and foods that it won't matter if they're overcooked on reheating. Rice-beans-meat-cheese works out nicely; Eggs-hashbrowns-bacon-veggies is harder to balance.
Hashbrowns, peanut butter & jam would probably work; might have to let it cool a bit so the jam isn't napalm.
Rice, loose ground beef, couple types of cheese would work. Add bacon and condiments of choice for a "cheeseburger burrito."
Mac & cheese burritos with meat-bits of choice (bacon? Shredded brisket? ground beef or sausage?) would probably be fine.
posted by ErisLordFreedom at 5:22 PM on November 13, 2017
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posted by Green Eyed Monster at 9:36 AM on November 13, 2017