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!

 

Easy Beef Chili

Chili is easy. It requires minimal work. The ingredients are cheap. It lasts all week. Go.


Serves: 6

Ingredients:

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 small yellow onion
• 1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cans crushed tomatoes
• 1 can mushrooms, drained
• Seasonings: Salt, pepper, cumin, cayenne, dried basil/oregano/cilantro, garlic powder

Directions:

1. Heat a large pot to medium heat. Add the beef and cook until browned, stirring occasionally. Chop the onion and add it to the meat. Cook the meat for about 8 minutes total. Add the beans, tomatoes, mushrooms and lightly season the chili.** Simmer over low heat for 45 minutes, stirring once or twice. 
2. Taste the chili, season accordingly. Simmer 20 minutes more. Hint: You know your chili is ready to serve when the beans are super soft!

Enjoy!

 
**Now is the time you could add any additional items (see suggestions below!)

Chili Variations:

• Add 1 chopped green bell pepper, 1 cup corn, 3 cloves chopped garlic
• Swap beef for turkey, use chickpeas instead of kidneys, 2 tablespoons chopped rosemary
• Add chickpeas, peas, corn, zucchini, and ditch the beef for a vegetarian chili

Mexican Side Dishes

I love love love love love Mexican food. There is a restaurant in Denver that I have been going to my whole life... My mom started going there when she was in high school and there is a reason it's still around (not that you're old, mommy!). Smothered bean burritos! Green chili! Shredded beef enchiladas! Huevos rancheros! ... and don't forget the Shirley Temple. I swear, it's like root beer and pizza - shirley temples and Mexican food are the ultimate food+drink combination.

Now, it's pretty simple to whip up a mexican main dish (burritos, fajitas, tacos... same basic ingredients, just a different method of putting it all together). Side dishes, on the other hand, are easily forgotten in my experience. Here are some tried and true sides (each with three variations!) for your fiesta.

Guacamole

Ingredients:

• 2 large avocados
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Salt/Pepper to taste
• 1/4 tsp. dried thyme

Directions:
Halve the avocados, toss the pit, mash with remaining ingredients in a bowl. 

Variations:

1.  Simple Guacamole: add in 1/4 finely diced red onion, 2 chopped tomatoes, and a dash of cumin.
2. Spicy Guacamole: add in 1/2 finely diced jalepeno, a dash of hot sauce, and a pinch of cayenne powder.
3. Loaded Guacamole: add in 1/2 cup corn (you can even sautee them to give a more roasted flavor), 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, and 3-6 roughly chopped slices of pickled jalepeno.

Refried Beans

Ingredients:

• 1 can refried beans
• Salt/Pepper/Cumin/Dried Oregano

Directions:
Add the beans to a small sauce pan, cook over low heat until ready to serve, stirring occasionally (5-10 minutes).


Variations:

1. Drunken Beans: Add 1 can of beer to the beans. 
2. Spicy Beans: Add 1/2 chopped jalepeno, 3 dashes hot sauce (Cholula!), 1 minced clove of garlic  and oil. Cook on low for 2 minutes before adding the beans.
3. Veggie Beans: Add a dash of hot sauce, chopped black olives, corn, chopped cilantro, and 1/4 chopped red onion to the beans.

Salsa

Ingredients:

• 4 large tomatoes
• 1/2 yellow onion
• Cilantro
• Salt/Pepper
• 2 bell peppers (red, green, yellow, orange, whatever!)

Directions:
Chop all ingredients to the desired size (I like everything to be roughly the same so it all has an equal chance of making it onto a tortilla chip) and mix in a large bowl. Refrigerate :)  This salsa is best when the flavors have had at least 6 hours to meld... The longer you can hold out, the better!!

Variations:

1. Roasted Salsa: Preheat oven to 450. Chop all ingredients and put all except cilantro in a 9x13 pan with a drizzle of oil on top. Roast for 20+ minutes, or until tomatoes are starting to wrinkle and your oven smells like heaven. Let the veggies cool, then puree them with the cilantro in your blender.
2. Sweet and Savory Salsa: Add diced mango/pineapple/apples. Any and all are great additions!
3. Garlicky Salsa: You guessed it.. add garlic! You can lightly toast it first, sautee it in oil to infuse the flavor even more, or add it in raw!