Amy's Gluten Free Cheddar Cheese Burrito

Amy's Gluten Free Cheddar Cheese Burrito
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

Burritos are a tough sell when they don't have a tasty flour tortilla wrapped around the beans, cheese or whatever ingredients might have been part of the maker's recipe and when considering the alternatives are usually wraps like corn tortillas, sometimes it's a better decision to just go with some enchiladas or tamales as those foods always have corn tortillas and can be made without the influence of wheat flour.

This means that for a company to create a burrito that doesn't otherwise taste like a poor substitute for the real thing, a good amount of creativity must go into the recipe for a gluten-free burrito because it's really easy to tell when the ingredients just don't approximate a wheat flour tortilla well enough. 

Amy's Gluten Free Cheddar Cheese Burrito
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

Individuals who might not consider themselves true burrito connoisseurs and fans of the popular Mexican food might not care too much whether a gluten-free burrito tasted just like the "real thing," but as the wheat flour tortilla does often provide a rather specific type of taste, it's important that whatever recipe is used that it can stand well on its own or in comparison to a wheat flour version. 

 For Amy's Gluten-Free Cheddar Cheese Burrito, it would seem as though looks can be deceiving because this variety of frozen burrito is definitely not the most attractive when it comes out of the wrapper (it sort of looks like a sponge up close). Of course, after it comes out of the oven the taste is certainly more impressive than the appearance would lead anyone to believe.

Regarding the preparation of the burrito, it's recommended that (like most frozen burritos) the best experience to be had for the finished product is through about twenty minutes in the oven instead of two minutes in the microwave as it will be less likely to be mushy on the outside and frozen on the inside if it spends time in a regular oven. Be aware that if the temperature is wrong in the oven that one of these burritos will probably split apart, but this doesn't negatively impact the taste.

Amy's Gluten Free Cheddar Cheese Burrito
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

Frozen burritos are definitely something that people tend to eat in mass quantities when they're just not interested in making a full dinner since it doesn't matter whether the time is taken to put the burrito in the oven or nuke it in the microwave as there's zero preparation and the cleanup is usually just a single plate. 

But since the majority of frozen burritos are filled with a great deal of gluten, this simple snack is often out of reach. Fortunately, gluten free food companies and manufacturers who delve into gluten free products have started to get with the program with new gluten free burritos.

The nutritional content of this particular burrito is fairly respectable although nobody expects a burrito to be that healthy. Some people might suggest the beans are healthy, but more often than not the beans are fried anyway, so the health content is hidden behind a mask of sodium, cholesterol and fat. 

For this particular burrito, eating more than one might get you in trouble with the sodium gods, so it's probably best to pair the burrito with some rice or perhaps a cooked vegetable. It's also a good snack in the afternoon when lunch wasn't enough or perhaps if there's a toaster oven you can employ at work.

Amy's Gluten Free Cheddar Cheese Burrito
Photograph Copyright 2012 by Kelsey Wyatt

Amy's Gluten Free Cheddar Cheese Burrito Report Card

The Good Stuff:

The Amy's crew has done a pretty great job with their recipe and while the consistency of the burrito when it comes out of the freezer might be a little odd as far as visuals go, the end result after it's cooked in the oven (even if it explodes as mine did) is really good. 

The package says "burrito" and that's exactly what you get when you eat one of these things and the great thing about eating one is that it doesn't seem to matter that it's gluten free as it doesn't taste like anything is "missing" from the finished product. And really, the number one recommendation that a gluten-free food might earn is that it doesn't taste like it's missing something. And this particular burrito just happens to taste great as well.

Things to Improve:

There are no major flaws with this particular gluten-free food and it likely rates much higher than the similarly marketed Glutenfreeda Gluten-Free Burrito as it's less expensive and just tastes better. Amy's Gluten-Free Cheddar Cheese Burrito is definitely recommended if you like burritos and want one that's easy to make and delicious to eat. Just don't feel weird that you're eating something that looks like a sponge.

Glutenfreeda Gluten-Free Burrito Chicken & Cheese

Glutenfreeda Gluten-Free Burrito Chicken & Cheese
Photograph Copyright 2012 Kelsey Wyatt

One of the great things about Mexican food is that there is a lot to choose from regarding gluten-free food due to how many recipes call for ingredients like corn instead of wheat flour.

But burritos, which are arguably one of the more popular items on menus, are usually off limits because they include gluten-based flour tortillas. And let's face it, a traditional flour tortilla seems to wrap around a bunch of refried beans and cheese a lot easier than a corn tortilla. 

This author has experimented in many attempts to make a burrito using something other than a wheat flour tortilla and most of these experiments have been unmitigated disasters.

And so therefore it has become necessary to troll the aisles of the grocery store to see if there are any companies capable of crafting a good tasting ready-made burrito. One of the only companies who seems to be creating such delicacies is called Glutenfreeda and they have a variety of different burritos that are generally located in the freezer section of the grocery store. 

Glutenfreeda Gluten-Free Burrito Chicken & Cheese
Photograph Copyright 2012 Kelsey Wyatt

On display here is the Chicken & Cheese variety which offers some nice elements for individuals looking for natural foods. The package states that the burrito has no hydrogenated oils and contains zero grams of trans fat. The burrito is apparently also "hand-rolled," although who knows if this method of burrito creation actually makes it taste better.

As is to be expected with frozen burritos, it's possible to place the burrito in the microwave for a quick zap or put it in the oven for about a half hour to cook slowly. I generally choose the oven if I have the time simply because the overall cooked temperature tends to be a bit more even. Most of the time when one of these little frozen tubes comes out of the microwave, the center is a glacial pod of ice.

One of the most noticeable things about this burrito is that it has a lot of varied ingredients within it and that it's not just chicken and cheese. For anyone looking for a burrito that's mainly chicken and cheese, you might be disappointed.

Glutenfreeda Gluten-Free Burrito Chicken & Cheese
Photograph Copyright 2012 Kelsey Wyatt

As evidenced to the left, the burrito itself is a tidy size and is likely not to serve as an entire meal for someone unless they're an eleven year old, so if this is something you're bringing to work to toss in the microwave it's best to bring along another item such as some gluten-free tortilla chips. And the small size of the burrito makes its three dollar price tag rather painful.

For people who can eat regular gluten-filled burritos of wheat flour wrapped bliss, they'll probably pay less than a buck. This burrito costs three times that amount. On sale. At least for people in California.

Overall the burrito seemed wanting regarding actual chicken and cheese. It felt much more like the burrito was all refried beans and rice rather than chicken and cheese. Indeed, refried beans, rice and salsa all come before chicken or cheese in the listing of ingredients. If the company wants to suggest that their burrito is chicken and cheese, they need to plump these ingredients up a tad.

Glutenfreeda Gluten-Free Rice and Beans.... I mean Chicken & Cheese Burrito
Photograph Copyright 2012 Kelsey Wyatt

Glutenfreeda Gluten-Free Burrito Chicken & Cheese Report Card

The Good Stuff

The nutritional content of this burrito is terrific as it has zero trans fat and a nice amount of protein at eight grams per burrito. The overall calories are a hair high for an item that's as small as it is, but the healthy factor for this burrito is great. If you're into smaller meals eaten throughout the day instead of a big lunch, this item fits the bill.

The company also suggests that they do as little as possible to process the foods that go through their factory, so it's a great example of a natural product as well. In addition, texture and taste of the flour tortilla (which is made of corn and potato flour) is great as well, even if my burrito happened to get a little crispy along the exterior.

Glutenfreeda Gluten-Free Chicken & Cheese Burrito
Photograph Copyright 2012 Kelsey Wyatt

What Can Be Improved

More chicken! More cheese! If people are going to have to pay three bucks for one of these little suckers, there had better be some chicken in there. Otherwise, it's best to label this burrito as "rice and beans." No joke.

For a Better Burrito

It's recommended that the oven be used for preparation here, but it's absolutely vital that the burrito isn't cooked too long or the exterior may tend to get a bit too crispy. The directions suggest forty-five minutes is a good cooking time, but I tossed my burrito in there completely frozen and it came out crispy at a half hour.