Bean Burrito + Frozen Chocolate-Dipped Bananas

We're celebrating Meatless Mondays with balanced, delicious meal plans. We hope you'll join us -- whether you're vegetarian all the time or just here and there. 

Today: A menu for when Cinco de Mayo sneaks up on you.

Surprise! Tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo. It's a holiday that sneaks up on you for no fault of its own. It should be easy, after all, to remember a celebration that is named for the day it's observed.

But even if, year after year, you forget that Cinco de Mayo comes directly after May 4th, that doesn't mean you don't have time to partake in the festivities. Yes, you could make a run to your nearest Mexican-American restaurant and order a pitcher of margaritas and a plate of enchiladas, but you could also turn what's already in your kitchen into a dinner you can enjoy any time of year, whether or not it's the Fifth of May. 

The leftover beans, rice, and cheese in your fridge are the start to a great burrito. The ripe bananas on your counter need only a bath in spicy chocolate and a little time in the freezer to become the perfect warm weather treat. Follow our game plan and you'll be celebrating Cinco de Mayo in no time at all.

The Menu 

Take advantage of our handy grocery list and game plan, or click the recipe photos or titles to see (and save and print) the full recipes.

Basic, 5-Step Burrito by pierino 

Frozen Bananas Dipped in Mexican Chocolate Ganache and Spicy Honeyed Peanuts by indieculinary

The List

Serves up to 6

Up to 6 ripe bananas
Popsicle sticks
4 ounces heavy cream
8 ounces dark chocolate
1 1/2 cup honey-roasted peanuts
10-inch flour tortillas
Refried beans, homemade or canned
1 head cabbage
1 bunch cilantro 
Guacamole
Chips and salsa

You probably have ground cinnamon in your pantry, and we’re also betting you have burrito fillings like cooked rice, grated cheese or crumbled queso fresco, roasted vegetables, and sour cream.  

The Plan

1. Peel the bananas, slice them in half crosswise, and insert a popsicle stick into the center of each half. Arrange the bananas on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper and place them in the freezer to chill. 

2. Chop the dark chocolate into a large, shallow bowl. In a small pot, combine the heavy cream with 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon and bring to a simmer. Pour the hot cream mixture over the dark chocolate and let it sit for one minute before whisking vigorously into a ganache.

3. Take your bananas out of the freezer and coat them in the ganache. Cover each banana in peanuts by dipping and pressing. Set the banana back on the wax paper-lined and freeze for two hours. 

4. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Lay each tortilla on a sheet of aluminum foil larger than its circumference. Chop the cabbage and the cilantro leaves and get all of your other ingredients in place. Then, cover the middle of the tortilla with a layer of beans. Add cheese, rice, cabbage, cilantro, guacamole, salsa, and any other fillings of your choice. 

5. Wrap the burrito following the fold and wrap technique. Bake it in the oven for 8 minutes. Get out the chips and salsa. Your fiesta is ready.

6. Clean up dinner, watch your favorite TV show, then open the freezer, and go bananas!

Photos by James Ransom