These Amped Up Breadcrumbs Will Give Any Frozen Burrito A Gourmet Touch

Frozen burritos can be a godsend when you're hungry and in a hurry, on a budget — or both. But sometimes you might find yourself craving something a little more elevated, or just a way to shake up your same-old microwave meal. Fortunately, there are many tasty ways to upgrade frozen burritos, and many require very little extra effort. But there is one tip that takes your average breadcrumbs, combines them with a little Parmesan cheese, and turns them into a crispy, savory crust for your frozen burrito that delivers major flavor and texture.

Perhaps an Italian-style cheese on your Mexican-style dinner sounds unusual, but this match-up couldn't be more perfect. The cheese is salty and subtly funky, and the combination with toasty breadcrumbs gives you a nicely balanced ingredient in which to coat your frozen favorite. When pan-fried, you also get a crisp crust that's a super satisfying contrast to your soft tortilla.

This tip is ideal if you're craving a burrito with bigger flavor but don't want the added hassle and mess of using a sauce. And since the process requires only a few ingredients and doesn't add a ton of prep time, you still get the convenience factor you rely on for a frozen meal.

Making this upgraded meal is a straightforward process that starts with thawing your burrito. You'll be heating up your wrap in a frying pan to get that crispy exterior, so this step is important to ensure you won't later bite into an icy center.

You can easily make your own Parmesan-spiked breadcrumbs by mixing together about 2 tablespoons to 1 cup of store-bought breadcrumbs (you can always add more cheese to taste). Alternately, if you're feeling ambitious, you can even make your own homemade Parmesan breadcrumbs staring with a ratio of about ¼ cup of the grated cheese to about two slices of dried bread. This gives you additional control over taste; you can stick with standard white or sourdough, go for whole grain, or any bread style you feel will complement your burrito filling.

From there, it's a matter of coating your burrito in a little egg wash to make sure your breadcrumbs stick (you can use a pastry brush if you've got one, or even a paper towel in a pinch). Then simply roll your wrap in those tasty carby bits and get to pan-frying, turning it as you go with tongs to make sure every side has a chance to crisp up.

There are lots of ways you can add more flavor to your breadcrumb combo, too, from dried herbs and spices that will complement your burrito's filling, to crushed nuts and citrus zest — or even a touch of sweetness. For example, brown sugar and Parmesan may be seem like a surprising combination, but the salty-sweet, funky-familiar confluence of flavors makes great culinary sense, and would pair perfectly with a basic bean burrito. Bonus points that the sugar caramelizes a bit in the pan, adding even more crunch factor.

You can also substitute another grated or shredded cheese like pecorino, or hew closer to the Mexican flavor profile with cotija, which shares some qualities with Parmesan in both texture and flavor. For a vegan-friendly version, go for nutritional yeast in the same amount as your cheese.

This breadcrumb trick can even work at breakfast time when applied to a go-to like the frozen burrito we'll buy again and again, as it doubles down on savory notes, and the exterior crunch lends a nice contrast to the soft egg inside. You can customize and experiment in so many ways, but with this simple trick, you can expect nothing less than a gourmet experience from your frozen burrito selection.