Welcome to the easiest lunch solution ever! No more guilting over mac & cheese or frozen taquitos from Costco. These will save you money and time, to boot.

Note: I’m making these TODAY so I will come back later tonight and post photos.

I grew up on these amazing burritos! Anytime we had a camping trip or a day on the slopes for skiing, my mom would pre-make a huge cooler full of these burritos, and they would stay warm the entire day in our cooler. With 6 teenagers in the house, let me just say it was a pretty big cooler! These are total comfort food burritos and they can be made SO many different ways. This is the most basic and very authentic mexican burrito recipe that I’ve modified to be healthier. My childhood version was already pretty healthy, really the only change I’ve made is in which type of bread and tortilla is used.

As a mom, I have fallen in love with how easy these burritos are. I can very quickly fill my freezer with individually wrapped “fast food” for my kids. At lunch time, we grab a few and pop them in the oven for a few minutes, just like you could any chemical-laden burrito or taquito or flauta from the Costco freezer aisle. Save money and save your family the processed foods by trying these instead. Base recipe is directly below, and variation ideas are listed at the bottom. The possibilities are pretty much endless.

I like to think of these as 3-ingredient burritos. Choose your meat, choose your onion, choose your potato, and then you just need a few slices of bread and whichever spices you like.

Is this the most amazingly healthy, raw food packed meal? No. Is it a TON better than freezer meals that most people are giving their kids every day? YES. Heat up a burrito and get out the veggie tray and let your kids go to town. Easiest. Lunch. Ever. You’re welcome, Mom and Dad.

To make about 15 burritos:

2 lbs grass fed ground beef (or meat of choice, see variations below)
1 Onion (white, yellow, or vidalia)
3-4 Potatoes (russet, sweet or red)
5 slices of Ezekiel bread, sprouted whole grain bread, or gluten free bread
1 Tablespoon Green Chili Powder (or see variations below)
1 Tablespoon Red Chili Powder (or see variations below)
15 large tortillas (can be gluten free, whole grain, etc.)
Optional: 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese or vegan cheese

Brown meat and onion together until done. Do not drain. Place in crockpot. While meat is browning, peel and cube potatoes. Add potatoes and spices and cook on low for 4 hours. While it’s cooking, cut 4-6 slices of bread into cubes and let dry out. After 4 hours of cooking, stir in the dried bread. The purpose of the bread is to bind the meat mixture together. According to mom, this is what makes it the most authentic and correct texture for burritos and tacos.

Warm tortillas in the oven just enough to make them not crack when rolled. Place a large spoonful of meat mixture in the center of the warm tortilla, top with optional grated cheese. Fold both left and right sides of the tortilla into toward center, then roll up. This creates a closed “envelope” on both sides of the burrito. Wrap first in wax paper (to keep it moist) then in foil (to keep it warm).

These can be tossed in the oven “as is” – they can be put in a cooler and kept fairly warm for several hours for a ski trip or picnic or they can be frozen and re-warmed in the oven later.

Here are some of my favorite combinations, in addition to the “regular” one above:1. Shredded pot roast, red potatoes (leave skins on), yellow onion, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp rosemary (unless roast was seasoned well during cooking)

1. Shredded chicken, russet potatoes, vidalia onion, 1 finely chopped green pepper, 1/2 tsp garlic powder