Burritos

First week back to two-parent-only after the Aunt-Linda-Tulsa-residency wrapped Tuesday. Brayden is seventy-four weeks old. The apartment is fully ours again. The rhythm is the rhythm of the unsupported workweek I will be in for the foreseeable future — the Aunt-Linda-twice-a-week visits will resume in April but the daily-availability is gone.

Burritos are the right weeknight dinner for the kind of week where you want a hand-held meal that does not require a full plate-and-fork sit-down. Seasoned ground beef, refried beans, Spanish rice, shredded cheese, sour cream, salsa, all rolled in a large flour tortilla and either eaten as-is or wrapped in foil and reheated for fifteen seconds for a hot-burrito finish.

The technique question on a burrito is the rolling. The fillings need to be laid out in a strip on the lower-third of the tortilla. The bottom edge folds up over the strip. The sides fold in toward the center. The whole assembly is rolled away from you and lands seam-side-down on the plate. The technique is muscle memory once you have rolled three burritos.

Sunday I made four burritos. Dustin had two. I had one. Brayden had a small open-burrito (his tortilla flat on the high-chair tray with the fillings dabbed onto it — he is too young for the rolled-and-handed format). The dish covered Sunday dinner with no leftovers.

Burritos

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 6 large flour tortillas (10-inch)
• 1 lb ground beef or shredded chicken
• 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup long-grain white rice, cooked
• 1 cup shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
• 1 medium bell pepper, diced
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced (optional)
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Sour cream, salsa, and fresh cilantro for serving

Instructions

1. Cook the filling. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper and cook for 4–5 minutes until softened. Add garlic and jalapeño and cook 1 minute more.
2. Brown the meat. Add ground beef (or shredded chicken) to the skillet. Cook, breaking apart with a spoon, until fully cooked through, about 6–8 minutes. Drain excess fat.
3. Season and combine. Stir in cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Add diced tomatoes and black beans. Simmer for 5 minutes until the mixture thickens slightly. Remove from heat.
4. Warm the tortillas. Wrap tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds, or warm individually in a dry skillet over medium heat for 20–30 seconds per side.
5. Assemble the burritos. Lay a tortilla flat. Spoon a scoop of rice down the center, followed by the meat and bean mixture, then cheese. Add sour cream, salsa, and cilantro as desired.
6. Roll and serve. Fold the sides of the tortilla inward, then roll from the bottom up, tucking firmly as you go. Serve immediately, or wrap in foil to keep warm.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 520 | Protein: 28g | Fat: 18g | Carbs: 58g | Fiber: 7g | Sodium: 780mg