Bean and Cheese Burritos

My life has been so insane over the past two months, and will only continue to get more insane.  Some of it is good insanity - I'm buying a house and I am getting married.  Some of if is terrible insanity - such as the ridiculous corrupt joke that my school district has become.  I definitely try to escape into the kitchen, but I don't get in there enough.  In fact, I am out of flour right now, and I don't even remember when I used the last scoop.  That is so unlike me.  And this recipe, for today's blog post?  It was from the Cinco de Mayo.  That's how far behind I am.  Arghhhh.  Anyway, the good news is that we close on our new home next Thursday, so at least some things will be calmer after that.  Plus the kitchen is awesome and I can't wait to get in there and cook.

The other good news: these bean and cheese burritos were delicious.  You know it's a good recipe when my whole family eats it, and when friends are over (semi picky friends, might I add) and they devour it too.  I obviously left out the pickled jalapeños, but even I have to admit that I was intrigued by a recipe that not only calls for pickled vegetables, but the pickle juice as well!  I was pretty famous for drinking dill pickle juice in high school.  Yup.  But anyway, I left out the pickled jalapeños and their juice from these burritos; they were flavorful enough with pinto beans, green chiles, cheddar cheese, salsa, cilantro, cumin and chili powder.

I did change a couple things about the beans. I decided not to mash them.  I like some texture to my burritos, so I left the pinto beans intact.  Otherwise, I think they'd be too mushy inside.  And lastly, I thought it was kind of gross that the recipe called for the cans of beans not to be drained.  I think we all know what precisely causes... ahem.... stomach issues when you eat beans.  I was not about to let that happen on my watch!!!  Drain away.  Rinse, even.

In any case, there ended up only being one burrito left after dinner.  I was happy that they were so popular even among my carnivores.  They were a great Cinco de Mayo meal, but since I am almost a month late posting that, I'd say it would make a good meal for any time :)

Recipe:

bean and cheese burritos
from Pink Parsley

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 - 2 tablespoons pickled jalapeños (depending on spice tolerance)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper
2 15-ounce cans pinto beans, undrained (I drained mine!!!)
1 - 2 tablespoons pickling liquid from jalapeños
4 ounce can green chiles, drained
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 cups shredded cheese (preferably a mixture of cheddar and pepperjack)
12 6-inch flour tortillas
1 cup fresh tomato, diced
2 - 3 scallions, diced

Instructions:

1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and lightly spray a 9x13 dish with cooking spray.

2) In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat, and add the onion.  Cook, stirring often, until softened and translucent, 5 - 6 minutes.  Add the jalapeños, chili powder, cumin, and salt and pepper, and cook an additional 1 - 2 minutes.

3) Pour the undrained beans into the skillet with the diced green chiles and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer and add the pickling liquid and the salsa, and cook until thickened.  Using a potato masher or a wide spoon, mash beans (if desired) to achieve a consistency similar to refried beans.  Stir in the cilantro, taste, and adjust seasonings.  Add half the cheese and stir to melt.

4) Carefully add a scant 1/3 cup of filling to each tortilla, and roll up (you may lose some of the filling, but that's okay.  Just work carefully and do the best you can).  Line the rolled burritos in the prepared dish, and top with the remaining cheese.

5) Cover with foil and bake 15 minutes, then remove foil and continue to cook 5 - 10 minutes longer, until the cheese is melted.  Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes.  Top with scallions and tomato and serve with sour cream and salsa.