Mom's Famous Freezer Bean and Beef Burritos

 With my kids being home all day every day, we have been going through food at an incredible rate.  Why is everyone so hungry all of the time?!  Add soccer practices right at dinnertime to the mix and I had to come up with a fast and hearty meal that everyone would love.  MKC is always my trusted source for meals that everyone in my house can get on board with and this one was no exception.   I just bought the Cilantro Lime Crema Dressing from Costco and it was so good drizzled on top.  I added some riced cauliflower at the end and it bulked up the burrito mix and added nutrition easily making 40 burritos.  Lastly, I bought these pre-cooked tortillas from Tortilla Familia and they worked great, saved time, and are delicious.

pic courtesy of MKC

Mom's Famous Freezer Bean and Beef Burritos 

Mels Kitchen Cafe

• 1 1/2 pounds ground turkey/beef (I used 1 pound of each so it made a lot more)
•  1 cup chopped onion
•  1 teaspoon salt (I use coarse, kosher salt)
•  1/4 teaspoon black pepper (I use coarsely ground pepper)
•  3 cans (16 ounces each) refried beans- I used Trader Joe's
•  3 cans (4 ounces) green chiles (mild, medium or hot, depending on preference)
•  1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) green taco sauce or green enchilada sauce 
•  1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) red taco sauce or red enchilada sauce
•  1/2 cup (4 ounces) salsa, green or red
•  1 teaspoon ground cumin
•  1 teaspoon chili powder
•  1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
•  1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• Frozen riced cauliflower, optional (adds zero flavor, but bulks it up and doesn't have texture once it heats so you can't see or taste it- I probably put 1 1/2 cups in)
•  6 to 7 cups shredded cheese (I prefer using a mix of cheddar and Monterey Jack)
•  20 10-inch tortillas or 30 8-inch tortillas (I used these and they're delicious)
• 
  

1. In a large saucepan, brown the ground beef and onion with the salt and pepper until cooked through, breaking the meat into small pieces as it cooks. Drain excess grease.
2. Add the remaining ingredients (except for the cheese and tortillas) and mix to combine. Heat through, stirring often to prevent sticking. Add additional salt and pepper to taste.
3. Let the mixture cool slightly. Spread about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the filling on each tortilla (depending on the size of the tortilla and how stuffed you want them). Sprinkle about 1/4 cup cheese (or so!) on the filling. Fold in the sides and then roll the burrito closed (see pictures in the post for a visual).
4. I roll all the burritos and place them on a large sheet pan. After they are all rolled, I wrap each one individually in plastic wrap and then put them in gallon size ziploc bags and freeze.
5. To reheat, unwrap burrito from plastic wrap and microwave for one minute. Poke holes in the semi-thawed burrito with a fork or cut the burrito in half and microwave for 1-minute intervals until heated through. They'll be piping hot! Eat carefully. 🙂

Grilled Avocado and Mango Salad

courtesy

So Brian and I have been doing Whole 30 for the last 5 weeks and I wanted to post some of our favorite recipes here.  Most of these would also work well for macros, but all of them are delicious, healthy and nourishing.

Grilled Avocado and Mango Salad

• 12 oz grilled chicken breast, sliced (from 1 lb raw)
• 1 cup diced avocado
• 1 cup diced mango, from 1 1/2 mangos
• 2 tbsp diced red onion
• 6 cups baby red butter lettuce

For the vinaigrette:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
• salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
• 
  
• 1. Whisk vinaigrette ingredients and set aside
• 2. Toss avocado, mango, chicken and red onion together
• 3. Fill a large salad platter with baby greens or divide on 4 small dishes
• 4. Top with chicken/avocado mixture and drizzle half the dressing on top
• 5. Serve with remaining dressing if desired.

Hot Mexican Street Corn Dip

I made this dip last night for a New Year's Party and it was a huge hit.  Its definitely a BIG indulgence, but so worth it.  Everyone loved it!

Hot Mexican Street Corn Dip

The Rookie Cookie

16 oz (2 blocks) light cream cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

2 cloves garlic, minced (I used the frozen garlic at Trader Joe's)

2 Tbs. Franks red hot sauce (or other wing sauce)

Juice from one lime (about 2 Tbs)

2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese, divided

16 oz. bag frozen corn, thawed (I used TJ's frozen grilled corn)

4 oz. low fat feta cheese

1 jalapeno pepper, diced (leave seeds in for more heat)

2 Tbs. red onion, chopped

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (plus more for topping)

Preheat oven to 350.  In a high-powered blender (used my Vitamix) mix the cream cheese, sour cream, garlic, hot sauce, lime juice, and 1 cup of pepper jack.  Blend until fully combined into a sauce.  Scoop into a large bowl and then add remaining ingredients.  Stir to combine. Pour mixture into a prepared baking dish and bake for 15-20 minutes (longer if corn isn't thawed), or until hot and bubbly.  Garnish with more cilantro, feta and hot sauce, if desired.  Serve with chips and enjoy!