Burritos smothered in Green Sauce

In high school, we had a subscription to Bon Appetit and my mom would menu plan based on the recipes in that month's issue. This method of menu-planning happily led both to some very exotic dinners and to the discovery of some of my favorite recipes, recipes which I return to again and again.

But four and half years ago I married a man from Colorado who, although appreciative of the finer things in life, really just wants to eat meat & potatoes. After laughing at the kinds of food he would request (hamburger gravy, for instance), I eventually broke down and gave the simple fare a try. Wow. There's no denying how comforting and delicious it can be.

Today, there are a handful of recipes in my arsenal which my husband taught me: breakfast potatoes, breakfast burritos, sausage sandwich, penne with sausage red sauce, hamburger gravy on mashed potatoes, and beef burritos. There's also his Mountain Pizza, but I don't touch it. He's the pizza master.

The beef burritos are probably my favorite: ground beef, cheese, rice, beans, wrapped in a tortilla and baked smothered in more cheese and green enchilada sauce. So without further ado:

Burritos smothered in Green Sauce

Ingredients

1 cup of dry white rice
1/2 teaspoon of salt, plus more for seasoning
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 pound of ground beef
1 teaspoon of seasoned salt (I often use Goya seasoning)
1/2 teaspoon of dry oregano
1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon of chili powder
1 can or roughly 2 cups of beans (black or pinto)
8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded
burrito-size flour tortillas
1 can of green enchilada sauce

Instructions

Place the cup of rice in a small saucepan. Pour over 1 1/2 cups of water and 1/2 teaspoon of table salt. Over high heat, bring it to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, turn the heat down to low and cover the pot with a lid. Set the timer and let it simmer for 20 minutes.
While the rice cooks, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the ground beef. Sprinkle on top the seasoned salt, oregano, cumin and chili powder. Cook the beef, stirring occasionally, until brown. When finished, if there is a lot of grease, you can drain some of it off.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Place the cooked beef into a large bowl. Add cooked rice, beans, and 1/2 the cheese. Stir until mixed. Taste and add additional seasoning as needed.
Open the can of green enchilada sauce and spread a couple tablespoons into the bottom of a 13x9 inch casserole pan.
Place a tortilla on the counter. Scoop about 1 cup of the beef/bean/rice mixture onto the end of the tortilla closest to you. Roll the tortilla up nice and snug into a burrito, making sure to tuck in the edges as you roll.
Put the rolled burrito into the prepared pan. Continue stuffing and rolling tortillas until all the filling is used up--it should make about six. Nestle them all in a row in the pan.
Pour the remaining green enchilada sauce over the burritos. Top with remaining 1/2 of the shredded cheese.
Bake in oven until the burritos are warm, the cheese is melted, and the sauce is bubbling, about 15-20 minutes. Enjoy!

Serving suggestion: salsa and sour cream, shredded lettuce and diced tomatoes.