Beans + greens burritos

Back to school season is in full swing. Even if you don’t have kids or you aren’t heading back to college yourself, I’m sure you feel the extra hustle and bustle in the air (or at least in morning traffic).

I do not have kids, (#dogmom #auntieforever), but living across the street from a school means that my schedule is now at the mercy of drop off and pick up times.

I’ll do just about anything to avoid getting stuck in school traffic, including leaving my house 15-20 minutes earlier than I’d like to in the morning. During summer break, I would use those precious minutes to make my lunch.

So in addition to leaving extra early, I’ve been doing one of my other not-so-favorite things: meal prepping.

I have ✨feelings✨ about meal prepping. Don’t get me wrong — it can absolutely be helpful, but it can also be rigid, boring, and often triggers sensory fatigue for me. I tend to get the” ick” when I repeatedly eat the same flavors, textures, temperatures, etc.

So between all of that and the flashbacks to the “healthy meals” I’d make and eat on repeat from Women’s Health magazines in the height of my disordered eating, meal prepping just isn’t a great time for me.

It might sound silly, but referring to it as a “make ahead” option versus “meal prepping” just does something different in my brain. It feels less daunting and offers a bit more flexibility, which is why I’m sharing these make ahead Beans and Greens Burritos.

They’re pretty dang easy to make, and even easier to reheat for a quick lunch. We’ve been eating them all week with different sides for a little variety, and neither of us have gotten tired of them. Here’s some proof in case you need it:

Scroll for the Beans + Greens Burritos recipe below and feel free to share your thoughts on meal prepping/make ahead meals/whatever else you like to call it – I’d love to hear from you!

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• Knife + cutting board

• Large pot

• Can opener

• Spoon

• Measuring spoons

• Potato masher or immersion blender

• Parchment paper

• Large ziplock bags or tupperware

• Avocado or olive oil - 3 tablespoons

• Onion - diced

• Garlic - 2-3 cloves, minced or crushed (frozen)

• Pinto Beans - 4 cans

• Green chilis - chopped or diced, 4 ounce can

• Cumin - 1 teaspoon

• Bay leaf - 1

• Better than Bouillon paste - chicken or vegetable, 2 teaspoons

• Salt - as needed (I just used a pinch because the bouillon I used has salt)

• Frozen spinach - about 1 cup

• Shredded cheese

• 10-inch tortillas, 10-12

1. Add the oil to a large pot over medium-medium high heat.

2. Once the oil is warm, add the onions. Sauté until they start to become translucent, about 4-5 minutes.

3. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.

4. Pour in the canned beans with the liquid (I did drain out most of the liquid in the 4th can to prevent the beans from being too runny at the end)

5. Add the green chilis, bouillon paste, cumin, and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes.

6. Remove the bay leaf. Mix in about 1 cup of frozen spinach.

7. Turn off the heat and let cool. Once the beans are about room temp, you can partially mash them or blend with an immersion blender to get your desired texture.

8. Then add the cooled beans to a tortilla with cheese, roll into a burrito, and wrap with parchment paper. I put about 2/3-3/4 cup of beans in each tortilla which made 12 burritos. You can add more, just don’t overfill or it will be hard to roll them up.

9. Store in a bag or tupperware in the refrigerator or freezer and just heat up when you’re ready to eat! OR, if you have a little extra time, you can crisp them up in a pan after reheating, but as you can see above, this isn’t a must!

These will keep in the refrigerator for 5 days or the freezer for up to 3 months.

If reheating from frozen, you can microwave for 3-5 minutes, or you can bake the burritos on a baking sheet at 375° for about 25 minutes. No need to remove the parchment paper in either scenario!

If reheating from the fridge, you can microwave in the parchment paper for 2-3 minutes.