When I met my husband, he was a law student on an incredibly tight budget. He economized by cooking his own meals and one of his favorites was refried bean burritos. He’s been making burritos the same way for decades now. We joke about how frequently he would still be eating them if I didn’t cook. All kidding aside, they are really good. Nothing fancy – just simple “guy food,” ready in minutes and finger licking good.
When Old El Paso™ and Albertsons (Safeway) asked me to join them in a Spice Up Your Game Day program, I knew just which recipe I’d use. His burritos qualify as a recipe because it is a set of instructions. However, they were never written down until this past weekend, when I asked my husband to run through the steps for his refried bean burritos, allowing me to take measurements of ingredient amounts and time the various steps. He laughed. And being a good natured guy, he even agreed to do the cooking so they would come out just the way he likes them.
While these refried bean burritos began as a Game Day food, they’re also closely associated in our minds with the Blizzard of 2016. I shopped for the ingredients at my local Safeway, in Northwest DC, just before the blizzard hit.
The store was a madhouse. I would have taken a photo, but who wants to see empty shelves and crazy people filling their carts to the brim? When I got to the Old El Paso products shelf, I grabbed up two cans of traditional refried beans and a can of chopped green chilies just in time, as shoppers eyed the now-empty Old El Paso shelf longingly. Luckily, I was able to find the other ingredients, too and off I went, back home to my cozy kitchen.
How to Make Refried Bean Burritos – My Guy’s Tips
- Don’t let anyone else supervise you. They are your burritos.
- The refried beans need to be stirred constantly. So if you’re making the burritos for Game Day, prepare the mixture ahead of time. You can reheat it in the microwave.The commercial breaks are probably long enough for you to make the burritos, but remember that sometimes the commercials are too good to be missed. And definitely don’t make them during the halftime show. You never know what may happen then.
- Don’t be hesitant to dress up your refried bean burritos with add-ins. Try grated cheese, salsa, chopped tomato and even avocado.
Cooked rice is great to add in, too. - To make each burrito, place a large spoonful of the refried bean mixture into the center of the shell. Add desired toppings. Fold one side of the shell a third of the way up, over the mixture, then fold the left and right sides over, leaving one end open. I like my folding method because it leaves open the part you eat first. I use “regular,” 10-inch shells (not the humongous ones) because they are easier to eat and you get more filling and less shell per bite.
- If you don’t have burrito shells, the refried bean mixture makes a great dip for tortilla chips.
| Prep Time | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time | 20 minutes |
| Servings |
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- 1/2 small onion roughly chopped (about 1/3-1/2 cup)
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon oil (vegetable of any type - canola, olive, etc)
- 2-16 ounce cans Old El Paso refried beans. traditional, vegetarian, or fat free
- 1 tablespoon chili powder or to taste
- 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese cut into small cubes each about 1-inch
- 4-5 ounces Old El Paso chopped green chiles
- 1-2 pinches salt optional
- flour tortillas
- Toppings E.g. grated cheese, chopped tomatoes, salsa, avocadoor chunks
Ingredients
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- Heat the teaspoon of oil in a medium sized, heavy pan.
- Add the chopped onion and cook for about 3-4 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to become transparent. Add the minced garlic and continue cooking for another 1-2 minutes.
- Add the refried beans and stir the onions and garlic into them. Heat the mixture.
- Incorporate the chili powder and then the cheese, mixing the ingredients thoroughly. Cover and cook 3-4 minutes on medium-low heat.
- Add the chopped green chiles and salt (optional) if desired after tasting the mixture, and continue stirring for a few minutes.
- Heat the flour shells directly over the stovetop, in the microwave, or in an ungreased pan.
- Add 1-2 large spoonfuls of refried bean mixture to each shell, then toppings of your choice and fold the shells.
I prefer to heat the shells directly over the flame of a gas stovetop burner, quickly flipping them, for about 45 seconds - 1 minute. If you don't have a gas burner. Whichever method you use to heat the shells just make sure to keep them from becoming too stiff or they won't fold properly.
This recipe yields 6 generous burritos.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Albertsons. The opinions and text are all mine.
