Make-Ahead Burritos

October. The season is 5-0 and the defense is allowing fewer than ten points per game. DeShawn Willis is the best linebacker in the state as a junior — I'll say this publicly to any reporter who asks, because it's true and because players of his caliber deserve to have their excellence named while they're in the process of building it. He had twelve tackles and a forced fumble last Friday against a team that had been averaging thirty-one points per game. He held them to seven.

Sofia is a freshman in high school. This happened gradually and then suddenly — the way time moves when you're in the middle of raising someone. She is in a different building now, with different stakes, and she is navigating it with the self-possession of someone who has always known who she is. She runs with the cross-country team and she's already the fastest girl on a team with two seniors. She came home last week and said, "I like being the youngest and the fastest. It's good information." Yes. It is. She takes her own measurements and trusts them. This is everything.

Hector had a good week. Marisol sent a video of him making calabacitas on a Sunday afternoon — slow, careful, his hands doing the work they've always done. I watched the video four times. At the end he looked at the camera and said, "Tell Carlos he's missing out." I texted him back immediately: "I'll be down for Thanksgiving. Save me some." He sent back a thumbs up. The thumbs up from Hector is a full paragraph.

Red chile enchiladas stacked, New Mexico style. The Tuesday meal, the reliable meal, the meal that means everything is ordinary in the best possible sense. Fried egg on top. Onion. Cheese. This dish is home regardless of geography.

The enchiladas were on my mind all week — that stacked New Mexico style I grew up on, the fried egg, the red chile, the onion — but Tuesday came fast and the season doesn’t slow down for cravings. So I leaned on what I always lean on when the week is full and I want something that tastes like I put in real effort without standing at the stove for an hour: make-ahead burritos, built on a Sunday, waiting for me when I needed them. Hector would understand. The thumbs up he sent me covered this meal too.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 45 min | Servings: 8

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef (80/20)
1 can (15 oz) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (10 oz) red enchilada sauce
1 cup long-grain white rice, cooked
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup diced white onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
8 large (10-inch) flour tortillas
1 tbsp neutral oil (canola or vegetable)

Instructions

Cook the filling. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add diced onion and cook 3–4 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds more. Add ground beef, breaking it up with a spoon, and cook until browned throughout, about 6–8 minutes. Drain excess fat.
Season and combine. Stir in cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Add pinto beans, corn, cooked rice, and enchilada sauce. Stir everything together and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes until the mixture tightens slightly and flavors meld. Remove from heat and let cool 5 minutes.
Warm the tortillas. Wrap the tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave in 30-second bursts until pliable, about 1 minute total. This prevents cracking when you roll.
Assemble the burritos. Lay a tortilla flat. Spoon about 3/4 cup of filling onto the lower third of the tortilla, leaving a 1-inch border on the sides. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of shredded cheese over the filling. Fold the sides in, then roll up tightly from the bottom. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.
Wrap for storage. Wrap each burrito individually in aluminum foil. Refrigerate for up to 4 days, or freeze in a zip-top freezer bag for up to 3 months. Label with the date.
Reheat when ready. From the refrigerator: unwrap foil and microwave on a plate for 2–3 minutes, flipping halfway, until heated through. From frozen: microwave straight from the freezer for 4–5 minutes, flipping once, or reheat in a 350°F oven (still wrapped in foil) for 25–30 minutes.

Nutrition (per serving)

Make-Ahead Burritos — The Tuesday Meal That Means Everything Is Ordinary in the Best Possible Sense