Beyond a Plain Burrito

I am back from my post-qualifying exam, and thinking about food again! What better way to celebrate than making yummy burritos??
Now, my boyfriend is a simple man, and likes meat and cheese and salsa on his. But it pays to be slightly more creative! So here's my basic recipe, and then lots of yummy yummy add ins!

Ground beef (however much you need--easily adaptable to a large group). Now, you can use what you like, but I cannot recommned using 85% lean or less enough. If the meat is too lean, it gets dry. We usually use ground beef from a local butcher that comes to our farmer's market. If you have this option, I strongly recommend it!

Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Put the beef in and break it up with a wooden spoon. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder (not cloves--they may burn and taste nasty). Saute meat until done (no longer pink).

Once the meat is done, wrap burrito tortillas (I use Mission falls soft taco size, but use what you like) in a damp paper towel and microwave according to package directions. This will warm and soften them.

After you do this, take cheese, salsa, and sour cream out. Now I like mild cheese, and I have a microplane grater, so I just grate the cheese directly onto the meat in the burrito. But pre-grating is good too.
Place meat on tortilla. Top with cheese, sour cream, and salsa. Wrap as desired (I'm a disastrous mess at this part). YUM!

Now for add-ins:
after sauteeing meat, try sauteeing some squash or zucchini and adding it. For a vegetarian meal, saute the squash with some corn or carrots. Add cauliflower or broccoli. These make excellent burritos! Just pick a veggie that is still a little crunchy after cooking, and you're good to go! I usually go for whatever I can find at the market on Thursdays. Oh, and if you roast corn according to the previous entry, just scrape that off the cob and voila! the perfect add in!
Heat some refried beans and use those with the meat for a protein filled meal.
Cook some chicken any way you like--shred it into pieces (use a fork to hold it down, and scrape another fork over it to pull pieces off). This also works with turkey and pork.

Just remember, a quick and easy and delicious burrito isn't too much work!! Think outside the wrap and make your own delicious variations!