Turkey, Chipotle and Bean Burritos

Not a gourmet meal, by any means, but who has time for that anyway? This is a new, tasty and flavorful spin on a burrito, an old stand-by in our house. It was very quick, and the only chopping I had to do was one bell pepper. The Child ate some and said it was a bit spicy, so I loaded his burrito up with sour cream to cut down on spiciness. I personally am not a fan of spicy, but this was fine for me. The Husband raved and raved (and he deserves the credit for actually finding this recipe in the recipe book).

From Rachael Ray’s 365: No Repeats

• 5 12-inch flour tortillas (I used Mission’s multi-grain tortillas)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 package (1 1/3 lbs) ground turkey
• 1 large onion, chopped (I used about 2/3 cup frozen chopped onion—what a timesaver)
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped (I used a heaping tablespoon of jarred minced garlic)
• 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 15-oz can of pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 16-oz jar of chipotle salsa (recipe called for tomatillo salsa but I couldn’t find it)
• 1 tablespoon dried cilantro leaves (recipe called for 2 tablespoons fresh, but I didn’t have any)
• 2 ½ cups of shredded cheese (I used the mix of mozza and cheddar, recipe called form Monterey Jack)
• A dollop of sour cream for each burrito

1. Preheat a large nonstick skillet with vegetable oil. [Note: my largest skillet is not that large, so I used a large pot instead].

2. Add the ground turkey and break it up with the back of a spoon as it cooks and browns, about 4 minutes.

3. Add the onion, garlic, bell pepper, salt and pepper to taste. Continue to cook for 3 minutes.

4. Add the chicken stock, pinto beans, 1 ½ cups of salsa (about ¾ of the jar) and cilantro [Note: if adding fresh cilantro, add it after step 5].

5. Turn the heat up to high and continue to cook for 5-6 minutes or until the mixture is thickened. Remove from heat.

6. Nuke tortillas for 15-20 secs to warm them up a bit. [Note: the recipe calls for warming up tortillas wrapped in foil at 275F in the oven. This sucked for me—it made them SO HOT that they were impossible to work with. My assumption is that you need to warm them up to make them a bit more pliable and easier to work with].

7. Switch on the broiler.

8. Pile the turkey mixture into the warm tortillas, sprinkle each with ¼ cup of cheese and then roll them up.

9. Line a casserole or baking dish with burritos, seam side down (I used the 9 x 13 glass pan). Top each burrito with a little of the remaining salsa and remaining cheese.

10. Place dish under hot broiler, 6 inches away from the heat source. Broil for 5 minutes until cheese melts and browns.

11. Enjoy with a dollop of sour cream.