Kale & Chicken Freezer Burritos

Kale is abundant at our CSA right now. I've made kale chips, I stirfry it with apples and bacon for quick dinners but I needed to do something new. After getting some sale priced chicken breasts, I cooked the entire package and made enchiladas with half. I shredded the rest and waited for inspiration to strike. Freezer burritos went over so well last time, and the idea of a quick meal has been super handy. With it getting hot out there are days where I just don't want to turn on the oven and having these on hand will solve that problem. My husband ate a few for lunch today, pronounced them "awesome" and they were child approved as well. The trick is to use the kale as a sauce to moisten the chicken.

There is a little Vermont humor in here too. We have an entrepreneur here, Bo Muller-Moore, who makes t-shirts that say Eat More Kale. Check out his website. Chick-Fil-A is currently suing him saying he can't use that phrase because it infringes on their "Eat Mor Chikin" slogan. Crappy spelling aside- I'm sure that most people can tell the difference between chicken and kale, the fonts are completely different, and there are no Chick-Fil-A's in the state of Vermont. I used to eat at Chick-Fil-A when I lived in Texas and I can tell you I will never set foot in one ever again after seeing the way that they bully small businesses. As a business that advertises themselves as a Christian business it is very un-Christian of them, unless they're trying to pull a David vs. Goliath.

Sorry- I got sidetracked. Anyways this recipe has more chicken in it than kale but the kale is truly the star of the dish. These burritos can be made to be frozen or served for a meal.

Kale & Chicken Burritos
(makes 16)

2 lbs of shredded chicken (I had crockpot cooked mine ahead of time. Great way to use leftovers.)
2 bunches of kale (roughly 24 oz)
2 TBS oil
1/2 large shallot
8 oz shredded Cabot Pepperjack cheese (I shredded a stick of it.)
1 tsp salt
16 flour tortillas

1. In a large pot on the stove, heat 2 TBS oil. Take 2 bunches of kale, chop off the bottom stems (don't bother taking out the large piece running down the middle), and cram them into the pot.

Using tongs flip the kale around a couple of times to get a little oil on it. Let it sizzle for about 5 minutes, then add 16 oz of water. Keep it on high heat and continue to flip the kale with the tongs. The kale should start wilting. 

2. In a food processor, chop the shallot. Add the kale a little at a time, until it is all blended into a paste. Add the salt and 4-8 oz of water. You want it to be a thick sauce not runny. The shallot is important- you want to use some strong flavors when freezing items so that the taste holds up.

3. I pre-tear sections of tinfoil and plastic wrap and lay a tortilla on each one ahead of time. For photos feel free to check out my last burrito post . Dump your pureed kale sauce into the bowl of shredded chicken and mix well. 

Dose out some of the kale chicken mix onto a tortilla. I used about 4 oz for each.

Top with cheese, I used 1/2 oz. I love my kitchen scale. 

Now fold in the sides and roll it up.

Wrap the plastic wrap around the burrito, then the tinfoil. This helps to keep it fresh and to prevent freezer burn. Now label them and load your freezer! Enjoy them for quick lunches or no cook dinners on hot summer days. (3 minutes in the microwave is about right)