Mashed Bean Burrito
Refried bean flakes, cumin, and a tortilla. The cheapest hot dinner that still counts as dinner.
- calories
- 620
- weight
- 5.5 oz
- cal / oz
- 113
- protein
- 19 g
- serves
- 1, scales
- prep
- 2 min
- cook
- 5 min
- total time
- 7 min
- water
- 300 ml boiled
- cost
- $
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Dinner
- Lunch
- Canister stove
- Alcohol / Esbit
- Campfire coals
- Backpacking
- Car camping
- Bikepacking
- Basecamp
- Vegetarian
- Nut free
- One pot
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Dump and stir
Ingredients
| Instant refried bean flakes | 3/4 cup | canned pinto beans do the same job at home, but a can weighs a pound |
|---|---|---|
| Flour tortillas | 2, 8-inch | they survive a week in a pack if you keep them flat |
| Dried minced onion | 1 tbsp | |
| Garlic powder | 1/2 tsp | |
| Ground cumin | 1 tsp | more than feels right |
| Salt and black pepper | 1/4 tsp each | |
| Hard cheese | 1 oz | aged cheddar or a dry jack |
| Salsa | 1 single-serve packet | taqueria packets, or a shelf-stable pouch |
| Olive oil | 1 tbsp |
Method
- Boil 300 ml of water. Add the dried onion, garlic powder, and cumin and let them sit in it for a minute so the onion softens.
- Pull the pot off the heat and stir in the bean flakes a third at a time. Wait between additions; they keep thickening after they look done.
- Add the oil, salt, and pepper. If it is too stiff to spread, add water a splash at a time.
- Lay a tortilla out, spoon half the beans down the middle, crumble cheese over the hot beans, and add salsa.
- Roll it, eat it, then do the second one while the pot is still warm.
The home version starts with sauteed onion and a can of pintos, mashed in the pan. On trail the can is the problem: a pound of water you already have to carry more of. Instant bean flakes give you the same mashed texture from four ounces of dry weight, and the dried onion and garlic go in with the boiling water so they rehydrate instead of staying gritty.
Cumin is the ingredient doing the flavor work here, so be heavier with it than a home recipe would suggest. The oil matters too. Beans are protein and fiber and almost no fat, which makes for a dinner that fills you up at seven and leaves you awake and hungry at eleven.
Packing
Bean flakes and all the spices go in one bag so camp is a single pour. Tortillas ride flat against the back panel of the pack. Cheese and the oil bottle stay separate.
Variations
- Swap the tortillas for corn tostadas or rice to make it gluten free.
- Skip the cheese and it is vegan.
- A packet of taco seasoning replaces the whole spice list if you want fewer bags.
https://positivelyfrugal.com/frugal-dinner-ideas-for-cheap-dinners