What do beans and left over salad have in common? Both can be tossed into a burrito for a cheap, filling meal.

Burritos are also kid friendly and easy to eat. In many cases, they freeze well and can be reheated fairly quickly with a microwave to save time.  Overall, a good choice for busy people.

So what is a burrito really? Nothing more than a tortilla warped around a filling.

The history of the burrito is quite a long one. Here’s a snippet: In the sixteenth century the Aztec people of Mexico used tortillas made of more than just corn, but also squash and amaranth to wrap around food such as mushrooms, avocados and tomatoes In the 1840s southwest America, northwest Mexico gold miners used tortillas to wrap spiced meats.

These days the burrito is pretty much the same thing. Tortilla wrapped around a filling. The only difference is we have more variety of tortillas and fillings to choose from, so what kind of tortilla and what kind of filling is entirely up to you. Meat is probably the most popular American filling. But let’s not stop there. There are many cheap, healthy fillings that you probably never would have thought of. You won’t like them all.  But maybe you will stumble onto a new favorite or an old classic combination that’s just taken on new life in burrito form.

Here are some filling ideas…. And remember, your burrito doesn’t have to be hot. You can heat the tortilla for easier for folding, then chill after its filled and folded.

Chicken salad
Bean salad
Salad salad (I really like this with raspberry vinegrette)
Peanut butter and jam (roll it up instead of folding it)
Apple pie filling for a dessert burrito
Pasta salad
Leftover stirfry (rice, veggies and whatever was in it)
Stirfry veggies (mushrooms, peppers, onions, ect.)
Rice and beans (the obvious)
Chicken and salsa
Scrambled eggs with veggies (breakfast burritos have become pretty popular)
Turkey and cranberry sauce (leftovers from Thanksgiving)
Lunch meat with cheese and lettuce tomato, onion or whatever you put on a sandwich
BLT
Mashed sweet potatoes with a little sugar and cinnamon and crushed walnuts (sweet)
Sweet potato and black bean filling
Corn, tomato and avocado salad
Egg salad
Hummus with veggies
Black beans, corn and avocado
‘Sloppy Joe’ mix
Sprouts, lettuce, onion, cucumber, dressing
Potatoes and cheese
Bbq (chicken or beef or whatever)
Spinach mushroom and cheese

Remember to mix it up a bit. Try different beans and brown rice, or better yet, a different type of grain than you are used to. Barley and black beans, for instance, may seem strange but might be really good. (I haven’t tried it.) Tastes vary so what you like will different than what I like and these are just a few of the many, many combination out there. Some will be healthier than others, and some you will like better than others. Don’t be afraid to experiment.

How to fold a burrito

Artichoke Breakfast Burrito Recipe
Makes 4 to 8 Servings

1/2 pound bulk Italian sausage,crumbled
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 large tomato, diced
2 cups trimmed, cooked and diced artichoke hearts
Salt and pepper, to taste
3 large eggs
8 medium flour tortillas
2 cups grated Monterey Jack and/or cheddar cheese

In a skillet over medium heat, cook sausage until done; drain grease. Add
olive oil to sausage. Add onion, garlic and jalapeno; cook until onion is
soft. Add tomatoes and artichokes; cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4
minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add eggs and cook, stirring, until
eggs are done.

Heat tortillas (on a griddle, if possible). Fill middle of each tortilla
with artichoke mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Fold in ends, then roll up
tortilla.

Cherry Dessert Burritos
*A little more complicated

6 (6-inch) flour tortillas
1 (4 serving) pkg. sugar free vanilla cook and serve pudding mix
3/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups cherries, no sugar added, (frozen, fresh or canned)
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 Tb. confectioners sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In medium saucepan combine pudding
mix, water and cherries. Cook over medium heat until thick. Add red food
coloring and almond extract. Mix well to combine. Remove from heat. Spray a
large cookie sheet or jelly roll pan with butter-flavored cooking spray.
Evenly divide cherry filling and place in center of each tortilla. Fold one edge
over filling; roll tightly to opposite side. Place seam side down
on cookie sheet. Spray top of each with butter-flavored cooking spray.
Sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake 10-12 minutes. Quickly respray with butter
flavored cooking spray after baking 5 minutes. Remove from oven and
dust with confectioners sugar. Good served hot or cold. Serves 6

Burrito recipes

More burrito recipes

****PLEASE NOTE: I never make anything this fancy myself, I’m all about the simple and you can be too. Just use these as guide and cut them down to their most simple ingridients. Or come up with your own based on what you like and find in other recipes.****