My Everything Burritos

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There is no need for sides. The burritos are a complete meal in themselves. I make an entire meal, wrapped in a tortilla, which I call "My Everything Burritos" because everything is in them. 

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups boiling water
1 tbs butter

1 cup Uncle Ben's Brown Rice

2 cans Rotel Tomatoes with Green Chilis
1 lb of 90% lean ground beef
Vegetarian refried beans
3 tbs EVOO
1/2 cup Taco Bell taco sauce
3 tbs chili powder
1 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tbs dried cilantro
1 tsp sweet paprika 
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
4 lg cloves garlic, shredded or finely minced
1 medium to large sweet onions, minced
1 lg bell pepper, minced
1 half bag frozen corn
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup pepperjack or firejack cheese, shredded
salt
black pepper

Tortillas

Sour cream
Salsa


  SPANISH RICE  
In a pot, add one can of Rotel, the brown rice, butter, salt, and boiling water, plus cilantro, oregano, coriander, cumin, paprika, and 1/4 cup taco sauce. Cover and boil for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low, continue cooking 45 minutes – stir once about halfway through. 

  THE FILLING  
In large, non-stick pot, with the EVOO, add the onions. When the onions are translucent, add the peppers and garlic. When the peppers are soft, break up the meat and add salt and pepper, plus the rest of the dry spices. Cook until the meat is not pink any longer. Add corn and the other can of Rotel tomatoes, plus the other 1/4 cup of taco sauce. Increase the heat until most of the moisture cooks off, stirring often. Reduce the heat and add the refried beans and stir until incorporated and bubbling slightly. Add the rice and cheese, then stir until cheese is melted and the mixture is thoroughly blended.

Spoon the filling onto tortillas and fold the tortilla around the filling, forming a sealed packet. On a hot griddle, toast the burrito packet on each side until it's golden brown. Serve with sour cream and the salsa of your choice, and/or guacamole. 

Serves 8 to 10.

  LEFT OVERS  
Wrap each stuffed and folded burrito packet (before grilling on the griddle) in parchment (not wax paper), place in a Ziploc bag or sealed container. To thaw, it's best to place them in the fridge the night before you'll serve them. You can leave them on the counter for a couple of hours – I prefer the fridge thawing in accordance with food safety guidelines. Zap the thawed burritos in the microwave for about a minute to a minute and a half (depending on the thickness of your folded packet), then finish them off on your griddle pan.

DO NOT THAW THEM IN THE MICROWAVE. 

Hint: It's terrific with spinach or sun-dried tomato tortillas.