Sometimes you need a quick meal you can grab straight from the freezer and heat up. So today I’m going to walk you through my favorite new freezer meal: freezer burritos. The recipe today is for these Chicken Verde, Mushroom, Kale and Brown Rice Burritos, which are packed with flavor and plenty of good-for-you foods.

Not feeling that combination? That’s okay because we’re going to talk about all different tips you can use to make your own personal favorite freezer burritos. You can certainly buy freezer burritos from the store, but they’re typically loaded with sodium, might not have the exact ingredients you prefer and aren’t exactly cost effective.

When I decided to try making my own I was skeptical that the version out of the freezer would taste just as good – and that the texture would be just as good – as a freshly made burrito. Much to my delight I discovered with a few simple tricks these homemade freezer burritos would become a mind-blowing game changer! How so? Because you can pop one out of the freezer, microwave it for three minutes and have a fresh, delicious and healthy (depending on what you put in them!) meal any day of the week. If you want to go one extra step further you can even sear it in a skillet for one to two minutes per side after microwaving to add that extra crispy factor. So let’s get into it.

Keep Moisture Out of Your Burritos

The key to having a freezer burrito taste like you got it fresh from your neighborhood Mexican joint and not be a soggy mess is to keep away the wet ingredients.

• You can still have salsa. This doesn’t mean no salsa. Just toss your protein or other ingredients in the salsa before adding to your burrito so that they are coated, but not dripping. This way you get the flavor the salsa provides without the moisture.
• Drain well. If you’re using beans make sure they are well drained before adding to the burritos.
• Sauté those veggies. Sautéing the vegetables before adding them to the burritos is a great way to add flavor while also reducing the moisture. Sautéing vegetables like mushrooms, peppers, onions and greens helps get the excess moisture out of them.
• Room temperature everything. Make sure all your ingredients are room temperature before starting to assemble the burritos. Warm fillings lead to steamy insides, which cause future soggy burritos. This also goes for your tortillas since cold tortillas are stiff and tend to break. You’ll want to use fresh (aka not the ones that have been sitting in your fridge for weeks) room temperature tortillas.
• Be smart about your fillings. If it doesn’t belong in the microwave then it doesn’t belong in your burrito. That shredded lettuce and sour cream? Back away from your burritos and put it back in the fridge.

Wrap the Burritos Well

This goes for making the actual burrito and for wrapping the finished burrito for freezer storage.

• Wrap a tight burrito. There are plenty of Youtube videos out there that show you how to properly wrap a burrito. I’m not that much of a perfectionist though; I layer my ingredients in a long line towards the bottom of the tortilla closest to me, tuck in the short sides and then wrap as tightly as I can from the bottom. Having all your ingredients tightly nestled in there will help keep moisture out while they’re in the freezer.
• Prep for the freezer. There’s a few different ways you can go about this, but I prefer to tightly wrap each burrito in plastic wrap or aluminum foil then place all the wrapped burritos in a gallon storage bag, labeling the burrito type on the outside of the bag. This provides double protection and also allows you to easily remove just one burrito at a time.

In a couple weeks I’ll be sharing another favorite of ours: Slow Cooker Pork and Roasted Sweet Potato Freezer Burritos. I’ll also use that post as a follow-up to this one and list out plenty of protein, grain and filling ideas so you can mix and match your own freezer burritos. What do you load into your ideal burrito?

Freezer Burritos: Chicken Verde, Mushroom, Kale and Brown Rice Burritos

 

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Yield: 6 burritos

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 8 ounces kale, thick stems removed
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• 8 ounces sliced cremini mushrooms
• 1½ cups shredded cooked chicken
• ⅓ cup salsa verde
• 6 10-inch flour tortillas, room temperature
• 3 cups cooked brown rice, cooled
• ⅓ cup shredded mozzarella or colby jack cheese, optional
• Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large saucepan or lidded sauté pan. Add the kale, season with the garlic powder, salt and pepper. Sauté for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, add ¼ cup water, cover the pan and cook for 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely or put in the fridge to use later.
2. While the kale is cooking, sauté the mushrooms. Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and sauté for 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely or put in the fridge to use later.
3. When you’re ready to make the burritos, combine the shredded chicken with the salsa verde. Make sure all your ingredients are room temperature or cold. Place the first tortilla on a plate. Add some brown rice in a lengthwise strip towards the bottom of the tortilla closest to you. Top with some salsa verde chicken. Top with some kale, mushrooms and cheese, if using. Fold in each side then take the bottom of the tortilla closest to you and tightly roll it up and over the filling. Continue to roll up the burrito, tightly, tucking in the sides additionally as needed. Wrap in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Set aside and repeat for the remaining tortillas and fillings. Place all the rolled burritos in a labeled gallon freezer bag and place in the freezer.
4. To heat: Remove the burrito from the freezer. Remove and discard the plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Place the burrito on a microwave safe plate and microwave at 70% power for 3 minutes. Sear the burrito in a sauté pan lightly sprayed with cooking spray over medium-high heat for 1 minute on each side, until lightly browned. If you don’t want to sear your burrito, microwave for a total of 5 minutes instead of 3.

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Salsa Verde

 

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Yield: About 2 cups

Ingredients

• 1 pound tomatillos, husks removed and rinsed
• 1 clove garlic
• 1-2 jalapeños, see note
• ⅓ cup roughly chopped white onion
• 1 cup cilantro leaves (can include top parts of stems)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions

1. Add the tomatillos, garlic and jalapeño to a medium saucepan and then cover with water. Bring to a boil then reduce to low and simmer covered for 10 minutes. The tomatillos should become pale green and should be soft, but not falling apart.
2. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the tomatillos, garlic and jalapeño to a high-speed blender or food processor. Add the onion, cilantro and salt then puree until smooth.
3. Heat the vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, add the salsa and cook until thickened slightly, about 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve warm or refrigerate for later and serve cold or at room temperature.

Notes

If you don’t want your salsa spicy only use 1 jalapeño and remove all the seeds and pith before putting in the blender. If you like it spicy try 1 jalapeño with the seeds and pith and if you want it even more spicy you could add a second jalapeño.

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Lauren Uncategorized 2 Comments

Can you believe we’re already nine months into the Food Network Magazine’s Calendar of Cookies? Food Network Magazine definitely likes the September baked treat to be peanut butter and jelly themed, as seen with last year’s Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins, and I am not mad about it at all. In fact I’m thrilled about it because I love a classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Also, I was a huge fan of the Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins so I couldn’t wait to try their cookie rendition.

I did deviate a bit from the original recipe, but I think you will thank me for it because I seriously shortened the prep and fussiness time while still staying true to the exact flavors of the recipe. So, today for you I have Peanut Butter and Jelly Thumbprint Cookies. The original recipe involved rolling the dough out into rectangles and baking little sandwich cookies with the jam in between, but I figured thumbprint cookies are a true classic for a reason.

They are simple to make, it’s okay if they don’t look perfect and, most importantly, they are easy to eat. I didn’t change anything about the peanut butter dough from the recipe and I’m so glad because it makes the most perfect crumbly peanut butter cookies that are the ultimate vessel for that dollop of jelly.

They also taste delicious on their own, which I know both by sneaking one or two right from the oven and because I froze a bunch of these cookies without the jam and was too lazy to fill them before munching away on them. Similar to the Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins recipe, there’s a little whole wheat flour mixed into the dough so the cookies really give you that peanut butter and jelly sandwich nostalgia.

You can use any jelly you prefer to fill these Peanut Butter and Jelly Thumbprint Cookies. The original recipe calls for grape, but I’ve used raspberry, triple berry and apricot so far and they’ve all been delicious. Side note: apparently we have a lot of jelly flavors in our fridge! If you are a peanut butter and jelly fan I know you will love these cookies! Okay, only three more months of Food Network Magazine monthly cookies left! Stay tuned!

Peanut Butter and Jelly Thumbprint Cookies

 

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Yield: 30 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup whole wheat flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick), room temperature
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1½ cups smooth peanut butter (not natural)
• ⅔ cup raspberry, strawberry or other jelly of choice

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder and salt.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl with a hand mixer beat the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the egg and beat until combined. Add the peanut butter and beat until combined. Add the flour mixture then beat on low until just combined.
4. Use a medium cookie scoop to scoop out 30 balls of cookie dough between the 2 prepared baking sheets. Use your thumb or the handle of a wooden spoon to press a small indent into each cookie ball. Bake for 12-13 minutes. The edges of the cookie should be browned. Let side on the pan for 3 minutes then use the handle of the wooden spoon to re-make the indents in the center of each cookie. Transfer the cookies to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Once cooled, add 1 teaspoon of jelly into each indent.

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 Recipe adapted from January/February 2019 issue of Food Network Magazine.

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Lauren Uncategorized 2 Comments

I’m so glad I experimented with another recipe from my Pati’s Mexican Table cookbook. This Chicken and Spinach Enchiladas Verde dish was so crave-worthy and will certainly be a new regular at our house. I’ve been thoroughly impressed by every recipe I’ve made from this book and I’m excited to keep cooking more and more recipes from it. Do you have a cookbook at home that just nails it every time for you?

I did make a few changes to the original recipe by including spinach, since I love to sneak in green veggies whenever I can, and by adding some shredded colby jack cheese.

Normally when I think of enchiladas I picture a saucy, gooey dish loaded with melted cheese. Not that there’s anything wrong with that once in a while, but for a typical dinner I’m not looking to eat something quite so rich. There’s something about these Chicken and Spinach Enchiladas Verde that is lighter and more refined, while still having all the qualities of a comfort food dish you just want to dive into.

The key is that the tortillas get fully submerged into the warm Salsa Verde before being stuffed with the chicken and spinach mixture so that when you roll them up you know every bite will have the flavor of the Salsa Verde. This helps give the enchiladas that fork-tenderness so that there isn’t a single dry bite to be had.

I added that layer of melted colby jack cheese on top because even if I didn’t want the enchiladas weighed down by cheese I still wanted a hint of gooeyness. The mildness of that cheese also pairs really well with the saltiness from the crumbly cotija cheese that gets sprinkled on top after the enchiladas come out of the oven. These Chicken and Spinach Enchiladas Verde are homey enough to be comforting in the cold of winter, while being light enough to eat with a nice glass of white wine in the summer so I’m looking forward to enjoying this dish all year long!

Chicken and Spinach Enchiladas Verde

 

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Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 2 batches salsa verde, about 4 cups
• 12 6-inch corn tortillas
• 2 cups shredded chicken
• 3 ounces baby spinach leaves
• 1½ cups shredded colby jack cheese, divided
• Sour cream, for topping
• Crumbled cotija cheese, for topping
• Chopped white onion, for topping
• Chopped cilantro, for topping

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Heat the salsa in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat; once warm reduce to the lowest setting to keep warm until ready to use.
3. Lightly toast the tortillas. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat and add a tortilla. Heat the tortillas, one at a time, for 30 seconds per side in the skillet. Remove with tongs to a plate when done toasting both sides of the tortilla and just stack them on top of each other on the plate until you’re done toasting all the tortillas.
4. Remove the salsa from the heat. Use tongs to dip a tortilla into the salsa so it’s completely coated then place on a plate. Add a handful of spinach leaves, 2-3 tablespoons of shredded chicken and 1 tablespoon of colby jack cheese. Tightly roll the tortilla up (no need to tuck in the sides) then place seam side down in a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish. Repeat for the remaining tortillas until they’re all tucked into the baking dish. Top the enchiladas with the remaining salsa then sprinkle with the remaining ½ cup of shredded colby jack.
5. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil and bake for 5 more minutes, or until the cheese on top is melted. Take the enchiladas out of the oven and top with a drizzle of sour cream, the crumbled cotija cheese, chopped white onion and cilantro before serving.

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Salsa Verde

 

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Yield: About 2 cups

Ingredients

• 1 pound tomatillos, husks removed and rinsed
• 1 clove garlic
• 1-2 jalapeños, see note
• ⅓ cup roughly chopped white onion
• 1 cup cilantro leaves (can include top parts of stems)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions

1. Add the tomatillos, garlic and jalapeño to a medium saucepan and then cover with water. Bring to a boil then reduce to low and simmer covered for 10 minutes. The tomatillos should become pale green and should be soft, but not falling apart.
2. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the tomatillos, garlic and jalapeño to a high-speed blender or food processor. Add the onion, cilantro and salt then puree until smooth.
3. Heat the vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, add the salsa and cook until thickened slightly, about 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve warm or refrigerate for later and serve cold or at room temperature.

Notes

If you don’t want your salsa spicy only use 1 jalapeño and remove all the seeds and pith before putting in the blender. If you like it spicy try 1 jalapeño with the seeds and pith and if you want it even more spicy you could add a second jalapeño.

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Lauren Uncategorized 0 Comments

I find it so interesting how your tastebuds evolve over time. If you had told me when I first started this blog back in 2013 that I would be all jazzed up about a Salsa Verde with jalapeños, tomatillos and cilantro I’m sure I would have wrinkled my nose and shook my head at you.

Fast forward to Matt’s Cinco de Mayo themed birthday a couple years ago where I made a whole bunch of recipes from a now favorite cookbook of mine, Pati’s Mexican Table. I decided to make the roasted salsa and the Salsa Verde, mostly for Matt and my brother-in-law, Nick, rather than myself. Little did I know how obsessed with it I was going to be!

When I’ve made salsas in the past I’ve been disappointed in their blandness, but both these salsas had such depth of flavor I couldn’t stop digging in for more! It’s especially surprising for the Salsa Verde considering we are just boiling everything for a little, pureeing together then quickly warming on the stove-top. The layering of zesty tomatillos with fresh cilantro, lime, onion, garlic and salt is pure magic. I love that you can completely control the heat level of this salsa by what parts of the jalapeño you use. I don’t like any spiciness so I leave the seeds and pith completely out. The jalapeño flesh alone does not make it spicy, but adds to that flavor punch.

I’ve never been a fan of cilantro so the first time I made this Salsa Verde I used half cilantro and half parsley. My cilantro tastebuds must be evolving because when I just made it again I used all cilantro and I was still just as hooked. If you can’t stand cilantro please, please don’t just skip over this recipe! Try making it with all parsley because it is too good not to try. You could even try adding in the tiniest bit of cilantro; you might surprise yourself!

Salsa Verde

 

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Yield: About 2 cups

Ingredients

• 1 pound tomatillos, husks removed and rinsed
• 1 clove garlic
• 1-2 jalapeños, see note
• ⅓ cup roughly chopped white onion
• 1 cup cilantro leaves (can include top parts of stems)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions

1. Add the tomatillos, garlic and jalapeño to a medium saucepan and then cover with water. Bring to a boil then reduce to low and simmer covered for 10 minutes. The tomatillos should become pale green and should be soft, but not falling apart.
2. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the tomatillos, garlic and jalapeño to a high-speed blender or food processor. Add the onion, cilantro and salt then puree until smooth.
3. Heat the vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, add the salsa and cook until thickened slightly, about 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve warm or refrigerate for later and serve cold or at room temperature.

Notes

If you don’t want your salsa spicy only use 1 jalapeño and remove all the seeds and pith before putting in the blender. If you like it spicy try 1 jalapeño with the seeds and pith and if you want it even more spicy you could add a second jalapeño.

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Lauren Uncategorized 0 Comments

We’re celebrating the start of apple picking season here on Lemon & Mocha all week and I saved the best for last. Why is it the best? Because it is heavy on the chocolate and anything involving chocolate immediately jumps to the top of the list for me. Especially when there’s chocolate covered apples, too.

If you haven’t had chocolate covered apples before then you are seriously missing out, but you could remedy that this weekend by making these over-the-top Chocolate Covered Caramel Apple Cupcakes. The base of these cupcakes is my Perfect Chocolate Cupcakes. They are fluffy, moist and rich with chocolate flavor.

On top we have an apple cider cream cheese frosting. We’re using the same technique from Tuesday’s Baked Apple Cider Donuts of reducing down apple cider to get a concentrated spiced apple flavor. This apple cider reduction is whipped into the cream cheese frosting.

Next, we have chocolate covered apple wedges. I decorated mine with mini M&M’s because the more chocolate the better and I love the pop of color they add to the cupcakes. You can use any of your favorite candy apple toppings, such as toffee, nuts or even Oreos. Or you could just drizzle with some melted white chocolate or melted peanut butter chips – yum! Finally, I added a generous drizzle of salted caramel sauce. You could make your own or you could buy your favorite brand and drizzle away.

I made these cupcakes last year for a fun girls weekend where we did all the fall things, including apple picking of course. They were a big hit and I’m getting so hungry looking at the photos that I think I will definitely have to make them again this fall! Enjoy, friends, and have a great weekend!

Chocolate Covered Caramel Apple Cupcakes

 

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Yield: 24 cupcakes

Ingredients

for the cupcakes

• 2 cups sugar
• 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk, see note
• ¼ cup butter, melted
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup hot coffee, see note

for the frosting

• ¾ cup apple cider
• 12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature (use block cream cheese)
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 6 cups powdered sugar, sifted, plus more as needed
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon salt

for topping

• 2 apples, cored and cut into wedges (a total of 24 wedges)
• 1⅓ cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• Mini M&Ms or other preferred topping
• Salted caramel topping, such as Smucker’s brand

Directions

for the cupcakes

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 2 cupcake pans with paper liners and set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, sift together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, vegetable oil and vanilla extract. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together until smooth.
4. Pour the hot coffee into the batter and stir until combined. The batter will be extremely liquidy. Divide the batter between the 24 cupcake liners, filling them slightly more than half full. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes back mostly clean. Alternatively, they are done when you gently press your finger on the center of a cupcake and it lightly springs back. I find mine to be done at exactly 19 minutes.
5. Let cool in the pan for a couple minutes then remove to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.

for the frosting

1. Simmer the apple cider in a small saucepan over low heat until it has reduced to ¼ cup. It will not thicken, but it will get darker. This may take anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes. Once reduced let cool completely.
2. Beat the cream cheese and the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitting with a whisk attachment or in a large bowl with a hand mixer on medium-high speed until smooth and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the powdered sugar and slowly beat until combined, increasing speed as it combines. Add the vanilla extract, salt and reduced apple cider and beat to combine. If the frosting isn’t firm enough to pipe after adding the apple cider add more powdered sugar until the desired stiffness is reached.

for topping

1. Line a baking sheet that will fit in your fridge with wax paper and set aside.
2. In a liquid measuring cup or other narrow, tall microwave-safe bowl, heat the chocolate chips and the coconut oil for 30 seconds. Stir, then continue heating in 15 second intervals, stirring after each, until melted and smooth. Use a fork to help you completely dip an apple wedge into the melted chocolate. Place on the prepared baking sheet then sprinkle with the mini M&Ms or other topping. Repeat for the remaining apple wedges. If you need to reheat your chocolate, do it at 15 second intervals. Place the apple wedges in the fridge and let set until firm, about 30 minutes.
3. To decorate the cooled cupcakes, pipe the apple cider cream cheese onto the cupcakes. Top with a chocolate covered apple wedge and then a drizzle of the salted caramel topping. If you aren’t serving right away, wait to top the cupcakes with the apple wedges and caramel sauce. Frosted cupcakes need to stay refrigerated because it’s a cream cheese frosting.

Notes

To make your own buttermilk: pour 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar in a liquid measuring cup. Pour milk, any fat percentage, into the measuring cup until you have 1 cup. Let sit for 5 minutes before using.
If you don’t want to use coffee you can use hot water, but the flavor of the chocolate won’t be as pronounced. You can use decaffeinated coffee if you prefer.
The cupcakes, unfrosted, freeze very well if you want to make them ahead of time.

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Lauren Uncategorized 4 Comments