The Poor CookBook: Pan Fried Chimis

Ah, college living.  As a true middle class American and now flat broke college student I am having to make creative meals out of the bare minimums, then on a budget. Needless to say the ramen and beer diet is in full swing.  So here are recipes impromptu using the cheapest food out there. Enjoy, if you can…..

Needed:

Pan (duh)

cooking oil (preferably extra virgin olive oil, butter will also due)

2 chimis/burritos/

Cheese (I had pepperjack, munster, and swiss deli slices)

Cholula  (or similar hot sauce)

Cooking:

So as cheap goes we have have ElMonterey frozen burritos (chicken rice and beans) at ~$4 for a pack of 12 at your local kingsoopers, the cheeses which were 3/$5 on sale, and the cholula which is in the $3 area or easily lifted from a local Chipotle for the more desperate and less moral.

Now, the cooking instructions for the burritos dont give pan fry instructions… thus i thawed the burritos first which you can do a few hours before by putting them in the fridge or microwaving them for about 2 min (1 on each side).

Next heat your skillet to medium. We have the typical wire range which seemed to work ok on medium. It was hot enough to allow the burritos to cook a few minutes on each side without burning the wrap.

Add your olive oil (approx 1Tbsp)

Pan fry on each side for 2-3 minutes or until browned (avoid blackening the wrap)

Transfer to a plate, apply gratuitous amounts of cheese

Throw into the oven on broil until cheese is sufficiently bubbly

Here you can splash on some hot sauce and dig in. Beware the plate if you will be eating off it as it will be unforgivably hot by this time. A trifolded kitchen towel can easily double for an oven mit, adding to the long list of things they do for you.

Now you can always toss some sour cream and salsa on the side if you have the option, and of course if you want to go whole hog you could spring for some green chili and smother it post pan fry before the oven.  Be creative, make every night you have to eat this meal a little more bearable.

So the ingredients come to $12 divided by 6 meals (at two burritos per meal) leaving us at $2 per serving. Less actually considering the hot sauce will continue to haunt the fridge, and you probably wont use the cheese up.