beef and bean burritos - in which, i call the pioneer woman lazy

Leah here. And kids, let's get real: sometimes we just need something easy for dinner. Not "drive thorugh sack" easy, but something that comes together quickly, is filling and the whole family will like it. I've got one for you to try on those days. Pioneer Woman's beef and bean burritos.

I printed this out from her blog months ago from this little series of sixteen-minute meals she did. Then, it showed up in her newest cookbook, "and if it's cookbook worthy," I thought, "cook this, I will." This was scheduled for a Tuesday dinner, a night I jet shortly after noshing to go to a night time fitness class. Boy, was I dissapointed to only have a small portion of this before my workout. TASTY. Simple. And, can I brag here---I did it in fourteen minutes. (booyah.)

As she mentions in her blog post on this burrito, it "isn’t going to win any culinary awards for innovation. But for a sixteen-minute meal, it was pretty darn delicious." Yes.

And, we're off-----

I whip in to the driveway at 5:47 p.m. My husband usually gets home with my daughter around 6 p.m. Whew. A few minutes to get started. I take a look again at the recipe. "Sixteen, minutes, P-Dub?" I shake my head. Remember all those Rachel Ray 30 minute meals? Bunk. Not a one was ever that easy for me. For fun I set my the stopwatch on my phone ready to disprove her.

I pull out super fancy ingredients. A can of this. A can of that. Oh, Best Choice? You haven't heard of this brand. It's.....the best. Obviously. Ok, not too much to work with at least. And only 60 seconds or so have passed.

Immediately (of course) I heard the beep beep of the door alarm and my kiddo and hubs are home. Early. Suddenly, this little face is now underfoot wanting to go "owside, momma. play owside." Sigh. It's hard to pass up this face. I stop the timer. 

But I'm trying to prove P-dub wrong here plus get dinner on the table plus get out the door to my fitness class. I give her a tortilla with butter and she is momentarily pacified. (I make one for myself, too. Mmm..) TIMER ON!

I finely chop the onion and throw it in the pan to brown with the ground turkey. Not sure if it was the pink slime talk or what but I've been choosing ground turkey or chicken a lot lately. I like the blank slate factor. Both can take any seasoning and fit in with any dish. Except hamburgers. I need actual beef for those. Nom. I open the can of refried beans. Plop into the pan. Add shredded cheese, stirring to combine and let it heat through. Open can of enchilada sauce. Pour half on the almost browned meat. Hey! This is coming along fast! Just eight minutes have elapsed. Tug on leg-- "mommy, owside!" I'm drug to the back porch. Timer off. I let things finish heating through.

Kiddo kicks feet at me wanting her shoes off. I find this:

Busy day in the sand pit, huh, kiddo? I give the look to her dad and he helps her with bubbles and chalk on the back porch so I can finish dinner.He's good like that. TIMER ON!

I heat up a few tortillas then layer the beans, meat, a drizzle of enchilada sauce and some shredded cheese on top. It's looking burrito-ish up in here!

I heat each in the microwave then top with salsa and cilantro. Place on table with knives and forks. Water glasses. Check timer:

Huzzah! I've bested P-dub's time. Spent little to no effort. Got to dump sand out of my kid's shoe. I feel like a winner.

The quick, familiar flavored comfort food you might have grabbed through a drive through window.

Except you've made this cheesy, hearty goodness from fresh (from the can) ingredients in just thirteen minutes and 49.1 seconds.


The enchilda sauce, something I don't cook with, was my favorite part. Spiked with a little jarred salsa--plate-licking good. I filled one of these a little sparsely and rolled it up tight so I could cut smaller bites for my toddler. She ate every bite (including the ground turkey--this never happens) and we had fun calling the "bites" baby burritos while her dad and I knifed and forked our larger ones. She asked for baby burritos the next two nights!

And if either my husband or child asks for seconds, it becomes a keeper recipe at my house. Keeper!




Sixteen  Fourteen Minute Beef and Bean Burritos
slightly adapted from Pioneer Woman

(I halved the recipe with no problem for my family of three)

 Ingredients

• 2 pounds Ground Beef (I used one pound ground turkey)
• 1/2 whole Medium Onion (I used about 1/4)
• 1 can (7 Ounce) Mexican Tomato Sauce Or Enchilada Sauce
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• Cumin, Oregano, Chili Powder, Garlic To Taste
• 1 can (28 Ounce) Refried Beans (I used fat free)
• 3/4 cups Grated Cheddar Cheese (I used reduced fat pre-shredded mexican cheese)
• 12 whole Burrito-sized Flour Tortillas (I used smaller, taco sized)
• Extra Grated Cheese, For Sprinkling
• Extra Sauce, For Drizzling
• Cilantro Leaves, Optional
• Optional Filling Ingredients: Mexican Rice, Sour Cream, Guacamole, Green Chilies, Pico De Gallo

Preparation InstructionsBrown meet with onion and season to taste. Pour in sauce (I used half can) and simmer over low heat. Add water if mixture gets too dry.

Heat refried beans in a saucepan. Add cheese and stir in till melted. Keep warm.

Heat tortillas in microwave for one minute.

Spread a small amount of beans on each tortilla. Add meat. Fold over ends, then roll up.

Place burritos on a microwave-safe plate. Drizzle red sauce over the top and sprinkle with more grated cheddar. Microwave for one minute, or until cheese is melted and burritos are very hot. Serve immediately.