Freezerritos!

sofrito black beans, poblano-sweet potato hash, buttery scrambled eggs

It’s that time right after the holidays when, after 12 days of uninterrupted cookies first thing in the morning, you might be craving something a little more grounding for breakfast. No one wants to think about getting back to real life, but if easing back in sounds appealing, these breakfast freezerritos are a great project to tackle this week.

A while back I posted about these and so many people asked me for the recipe so I thought it was time! I make these for my postpartum clients and they’re great because they’re filling, sneakily nutritious with about 20 grams of protein and 12 grams of fiber, and an easy option to keep in your freezer for a one-handed breakfast that will keep you moving throughout the day.

The sofrito recipe is linked below and is something I always keep on hand in my freezer for when I’m making a batch of beans. It’s an extra step if you don’t already have some made, but it’s a prep item you can do once every couple months that takes comes together in like 5 minutes with a food processor. I prepare these beans from dry, but if you absolutely cannot do that, just sub in canned here.

When I can, I always prefer making beans from scratch because they’re significantly more digestible than canned beans. This is because beans contain difficult to process sugars called oligiosaccharides. Dry soaking beans in water leaches out these water-soluble oligiosaccharides and other digestion disruptors like lectins (sometimes called anti-nutrients because they block the absorption of other nutrients). The critical step is to strain off and discard the soaking water and add fresh water to start cooking the beans. Don’t cook your beans in the soaking liquid, it will defeat the purpose! For bonus points, throw a piece of dried kombu into the cooking water. Kombu contains enzymes that help further break down oligiosaccharides for an even better digestive experience. Sea vegetables are the future, btw.

I don’t add a sauce to my freezer burritos because I’m looking to reduce sogginess wherever I can. I’d rather just douse my burrito in a sauce after reheating than risk tearing the tortilla or mushing everything up. I really love the creamy jalapeno sauce from Siete. And on the topic of sogginess - my last and potentially most crucial tip is to make sure all your ingredients are cooled down before assembling. Heat create steams which invites unwanted moisture to the party.

This recipe makes 8 burritos, if you have a hoard of people to feed I’d absolutely double this recipe to save yourself on the prep.

Freezerritos

Makes 8

ingredients

Sofrito Black Beans

8 ounces dried black beans

1/3 cup sofrito

1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons kosher salt

1 dried guajillo pepper (optional)

Poblano-Sweet Potato Hash

1 large sweet potato (about 1 pound) cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 large poblano pepper, stems and seeds removed, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

1 small white onion, finely diced

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons chipotle powder (optional)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 tablespoons avocado oil (or another high-heat oil)

Eggs

12 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

4 tablespoons salted butter

Assembly

8 (12-inch) flour tortillas

8 to 12 ounces monteray jack cheese, shredded

Make the sofrito black beans

1. Add the black beans to a container large enough to cover them by a few inches. Cover with water and refrigerate to soak overnight.

2. Drain the beans and discard the soaking liquid. Transfer the beans to a large, heavy-bottomed pot and add 6 cups fresh water, the sofrito, salt, and guajillo chile if using. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium-low and simmer for 60–70 minutes, until the beans are tender and easily mashed with the back of a fork but not falling apart.

3. Strain off the cooking liquid, reserving about 1/2 cup. Use an immersion blender or potato masher to partially blend or mash the beans, creating a creamy texture while leaving some beans intact. Add a splash of reserved liquid as needed to loosen. Cool completely before assembling the burritos.

Make the poblano hash

1. Preheat the oven to 435˚F. Line a sheet tray with parchment paper.

2. Toss the sweet potato, poblano, onion, chili powder, garlic powder, chipotle, cumin, salt, and oil until evenly coated. Spread in an even layer on the prepared sheet tray and roast, stirring halfway through, until the sweet potatoes are fork-tender and deeply golden, 35–40 minutes. Cool completely.

Make the eggs

1. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl until fully combined and frothy. Whisk in the salt just before cooking.

2. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat, tilting to evenly coat the surface. Pour in half of the eggs and gently scramble, allowing medium-large curds to form and stirring just enough to prevent browning. Transfer to a plate to cool. Repeat with the remaining butter and eggs. Cool completely.

Assemble the burritos

1. Warm the tortillas in a dry skillet or microwave until pliable. Keep wrapped in a towel as you work.

2. Lay a tortilla on a clean work surface. Arrange your ingredients on the bottom third of the tortilla. Add:

   • ⅓ cup sofrito black beans

   • 1 to 1 1/2 ounces shredded Monterey Jack

   • A heaping ⅓ cup sweet potato hash

   • ⅛ of the scrambled eggs

3. Fold the sides over the filling, then fold the bottom edge up and roll tightly away from you to form a snug burrito. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.

4. Toast the burritos seam-side down in a lightly oiled skillet over medium-high heat until golden on all sides, about 2 minutes per side.

5. Cool completely, then wrap each burrito in parchment paper followed by aluminum foil. Label and freeze.

To Reheat

Unwrap foil, keep parchment on, and microwave from frozen until hot throughout, or bake at 375°F until warmed through and crisp.