by I like to make a LOT of beans and freeze them or make beans and rice AND bean burritos, so measurements can be scaled down for lesser amounts.
- 4-5 cans of beans – (3-4 cans of black beans + 1 can of cannellini / white kidney beans and/or 1 can of mixed beans – really, use whatever beans you like)
- Several carrots (chopped into bean/bite sizes)
- 1-2 Bell peppers (Chopped into bite sizes) – any color you prefer
- Diced Onion – Unless your wife is allergic to them (I prefer the sweet or vidalia ones, I use big ones because I like a lot, but you do you)
- Diced Garlic ( I like a LOT, but if you’re a normal human, I guess like..4 or 5 cloves?)
- Can of diced tomatoes – Fire Roasted or Garlic infused flavors are fun
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (or to taste..) (Omit this if going the vegan/veggie route)
- 1 tbsp Liquid Smoke (or to taste..I like Pecan, but do what you have/like)
- 1 tbsp Garlic Powder (or to taste..)
- 1 tbsp Paprika or Smoked Paprika (or to taste..)
- 1/2 tbsp Turmeric (or to taste..)
- 1 tbsp Black Pepper (or to taste..)
- 1 tbsp Chili Powder (or to taste..)
- 1 tbsp Cumin Powder (or to taste..)
- Cayenne pepper for some additional kick, if you like that sort of thing
- Salt to taste (I rarely use any, I don’t like mine salty, but if that’s your thing, go for it)
- Oil – I usually use olive
- Butter
- IF YOU ARE MAKING BURRITOS:
- 2 cans of refried beans. I like CHIPOTLE flavored for a little extra kick, but traditional refried beans are just as good.
- Shredded Cheese – I like Sharp cheddar, but do what you want
- Medium Sized Flour Tortillas – I prefer Mission brand
- Ground Meat (Beef, Chicken, Turkey, Pork, Bison, Beyond Meat, whatever..) if desired – this can be totally vegetarian if you like
Sautee the onions until browned in a bit of olive oil and butter. Add the garlic, until just softened. **If you want meat in this dish – now is the time to add something ground up. Let it brown before adding the veggies. You can add half the spices to the meat while it browns. Add the carrots and bell peppers. Let that stuff cook until the onions darken – I like ’em practically caramelized and starting to burn.
Add cans of beans and diced tomatoes. If you want to use these beans ONLY for burritos, I suggest you drain some of the liquid in the cans, so that the beans aren’t REALLY soupy. If you’re planning on eating beans and rice, then you’re going to want to pour all that liquid into the pot because the sauce is really nice.
Add all the spices and flavorings. Bring everything to a simmer and let it go slowly until the carrots are nice and soft and the spices are distributed well. This can take 30 minutes to an hour.
You can serve this on it’s own over rice (white, brown, mixed with quinoa, yellow, spanish, whatever you like), with tacos, on tacos, with enchiladas, etc.
You can freeze batches of this for later. It’s a GREAT leftover.
IF YOU WANT BURRITOS:
If the beans are really juicy, you might drain a bit of the liquid before stirring in the refried beans to thicken the mixture up and make a nice flavorful beany goop that’s not too saucy.
Use medium sized flour tortillas at room temperature. Sprinkle some shredded cheese on the tortilla, scoop enough bean goop into the tortilla to fill it, add more cheese if you want. Wrap that burrito up! Try not to squish out your bean goop.
Heat up a skillet and using tongs, sear each side of your burrito until golden.
Eat them! Or let all your burritos cool to room temperature before storing. You can freeze them and then microwave them (from frozen) for a quick meal or snack. They last a long time in the freezer and are great for those nights when you don’t have time (or inclination) to cook. Serve with lettuce/tomato/sour cream/salsa.
Enjoy!
