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Spinach Cheese Burritos

These burritos, with their creamy spinach filling, are one of the dishes that always elicit customer requests for the recipe when we serve them in the restaurant.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

Filling

1 bunch scallions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
10 cups loosely packed fresh baby spinach (about 10 ounces)
1 teaspoon ground coriander
Generous pinch of nutmeg (optional)
3 cups lightly packed grated Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese (about 10 ounces)
1/3 cup cream cheese (3 ounces)
8 to 10 flour tortillas (7- or 8-inch)
Blender Tomato Hot Sauce (page 244) or your favorite salsa

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Preheat the oven to 375°. Oil a 9 × 13-inch baking dish.

    Step 2

    In a large skillet on medium heat, cook the scallions and garlic in the oil for 2 or 3 minutes. Add the spinach and cook until the leaves are wilted and the water has evaporated. Stir in the coriander, nutmeg, cheese, and cream cheese. Remove from the heat.

    Step 3

    To soften the tortillas so they won’t crack when you roll them, lay out the tortillas on a baking sheet (overlapping is fine) and place in the oven for a minute or two.

    Step 4

    To prepare the burritos, place about 1/2 cup of filling on the lower half of a warm tortilla, fold the bottom up and the sides in to encase the filling, roll it up, and place seam-side down in the prepared baking dish. Repeat with the rest of the filling and tortillas. Brush the tops lightly with oil, cover the dish with foil, and bake until hot, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve topped with Blender Tomato Hot Sauce or salsa.

  2. Ingredient Notes

    Step 5

    If you want to use frozen spinach instead of fresh, look for bags with loose clumps of spinach instead of a solid block, and defrost before adding to the filling.

    Step 6

    You can use thinly sliced onions instead of scallions.

  3. Serving & menu ideas

    Step 7

    We usually serve burritos on Yellow Rice (page 179) or plain brown or white rice. A crisp salad or a crunchy slaw is nice on the side. New England Squash Pie (page 277) would make the evening divine.

Cover of the cookbook Moosewood Simple Suppers with a red floral motif.
From Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers: Fresh Ideas for the Weeknight Table. Copyright © 2017 by Moosewood Collective. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Penguin Random House, LLC. Buy the full book from ThriftBooks or Amazon.
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