Beef and Bean Burritos

Burritos are an easy weeknight dinner, and excellent as leftovers. I usually rummage through my fridge to see what I can use up and add to them, and I have put together a little list of add-ins after the recipe in case y'all need some finger-lickin' inspiration. The BF's mom makes the best one's I've had, and I am still trying to figure out her magic element but this is my take on baked beef and bean burritos.

Serves 4 +leftovers
Ingredients:

• 10 flour tortillas
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1 jalapeno, minced
• 1/2 cup slice black olives
• 1/4 cup cream cheese
• 1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed (or pinto beans)
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
• salt, pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar or jack

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.  
2. Heat a large skillet to medium heat. Add the ground beef and onion, stir occasionally and cook until browned (about 8 minutes). Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the jalapeno, olives, cream cheese, and beans. Stir and let the flavors melt together. Add in the cumin, cayenne, salt and pepper to taste. Cook for about 5 minutes then remove from heat. 
3. Set up an assembly station: tortillas, filling with spoon for scooping, cutting board for rolling them up, and then a greased baking dish (9x13x2). Scoop about two heaping spoonfuls of filling in a strip down the middle of a tortilla. Roll the tortillas up, using your finger to tuck in the sides as you roll so it stays together as best as possible. Place seam-side down in the baking dish. Don't worry about perfect rolling - the cheese topping will bind them together!
4. Once the dish is full, top with the shredded cheese and bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and golden. Serve hot with salsa, sour cream, and guacamole!

 

Dijon and Beer Baked Ribs

I have a confession. I love bar food. Ribs, wings, burgers, fries, chicken strips. Oh lordy, I could eat pub fare every day! Luckily I limit myself to every other day. Just kidding.

Football is a great excuse to eat bar food, and tonight we are having jalapenos wrapped in cream cheese, artichoke dip, and these ribs. They add a bit of punch and zest to any potluck or football party, and easy as heck which is always great in my book.

Serves 6 for snackin'
Ingredients:

•  3 racks of pork ribs
• 1 cup dijon mustard
• 1 can of beer
• 1 tablespoon each: Salt, pepper, cumin, garlic powder, cayenne powder for seasoning

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 250 F. Slice ribs into individual pieces (Slice along the bone so each rib has bone on one side and meat on the other - it makes it easy to hold while you eat!). Mix the dry seasonings in a large bowl, then toss the ribs to coat in the rub. 
2. Butter a large baking dish (I prefer glass) and place the ribs in as an even a layer as possible. Brush them generously with the dijon, the pour in the can of beer (try to pour it near the edge so that it doesn't wash off the dijon). 
3. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 2 1/2 hours, basting occasionally. Turn the heat to 350 F and remove the foil; bake uncovered for 30 minutes.
4. Serve with a small bowl of dijon for dipping.

Butternut Squash Pasta Bake

I'm always trying to think of creative ways to have pasta because the BF doesn't eat tomatoes. Not stewed, canned, roasted, sun-dried, raw, pureed, nada. Which makes pasta night a little challenging - there are only so many times I can happily serve noodles with butter (his favorite) and white sauce (think cheesy, Alfredo, or mushroom soup) is too rich to have often. I was planning to make a butternut squash soup with sausage and mushrooms, but we ended up eating the sausage the night before so I came up with a casserole that was scrumptious and I even have enough leftovers to cover my next few days of packed lunches. It has a lot of little steps but it is well worth the effort!


Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

• 2 medium butternut squashes
• 4 tablespoons butter, separated
• 10-12 white mushrooms (about 1/2 lb)
• 4 cloves garlic
• 6 slices thick cut bacon
• 1 container ricotta cheese (250g)
• 2 large eggs
• Salt, pepper, dried oregano to taste
• 8 cups cooked pasta (like shells, spirals, rigatoni-think sauce holders!)
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Slice the squashes lengthwise and crosswise to have 8 sections of squash total. Pour 1 cup water in a 9x13" glass baking dish, then place the squash flesh side down in the dish (it's ok if it doesn't all fit perfectly, just do the best you can). Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, flip the squash flesh-side up and dab them with 2 tablespoons butter. Season with salt and pepper, cover the dish again and bake for an additional 30 minutes. 
2. Meanwhile, remove the stems and peel the mushrooms (or instead of peeling, clean with a moist paper towel). Preheat a large saute pan to medium heat. Add the mushrooms and butter, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and turn the heat to low, cook for 10 minutes. Place the mushroom mixture in a large bowl and set aside.
3. Remove the squash from the oven and let it cool until it can be handled. Use a spoon to scoop the flesh into the mushroom bowl, discard the peel. 
4. Re-heat the saute pan to medium-high heat. Chop the bacon into 1/2 thick slices and add it to the pan, cook until crisp (5-7 minutes). Use a slotted spoon to scoop the bacon into the squash and mushroom mixture, stir to combine everything. 
5. In a small bowl add the ricotta and eggs, beat with a fork for 2-3 minutes, season with salt, pepper, and oregano.
6. Rinse and re-use the dish that you baked the squash in. Grease the pan then add the pasta in an even layer. Scoop spoonfuls of the ricotta over the pasta, gently smoothing it to make it an even layer. Next scoop and smooth the squash mixture across the ricotta. Top with mozzarella.
7. Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes, or until top is golden and bubbly. Serve hot! (I topped mine with a drizzle of sriracha for an extra kick, while the BF kept his pure).