Sandra's Beef and Potato Burritos

One of the many delicious meals we had while visiting family in Oklahoma was Beef and Potato Burritos. The filling is SO DARNED GOOD. Seriously. It's amazingly delicious for how simple it is. Plus, by adding potato, you stretch your ground beef/turkey and save money. What's not to love?

The recipe is originally from Everyday Food (the pbs show, not Rachel Rey).

Ingredients:


Filling:
1 large baking potato
2 Tbsp canola oil (or olive oil)
3/4 lb ground beef or turkey
1 onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, finely chopped
1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes with juice
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt

flour tortillas (whatever size/kind you like)

toppings:
sour cream
shredded lettuce
cheese (Monterey jack, cheddar, or Mexican blend, low-fat is fine)
cilantro
lime

1. Peel potato and cut into 1/2 inch dice.

2. In a large (LARGE) skillet or saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add potato and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown (about 6 min). While that cooks, chop the onion and jalapeno.

3. Add beef/turkey, onion, and jalapeno and cook, stirring, until beef/turkey is thoroughly browned, about 4 min. Add tomatoes and juice, cumin, paprika, and salt. Cook until liquid has evaporated, about 6 minutes.

4. Warm tortillas in skillet (or microwave if you're lazy like me). Fill with beef mixture and desired toppings and fold into a burrito.

Enjoy! This makes quite a bit--we probably had enough for 10 small burritos. The original recipe says it makes 4 large (10 inch tortilla) burritos.

The little geeks are not huge fans of this (yet--I predict in about 10 years they both love it). The big geek and I enjoy it a LOT. Leftover filling is also good with Fritos or other corn chips.

Crock Pot Potato Ham Chowder

This is a great way to use leftover ham or even the bone from a bone-in ham. It's quick to toss together and you toss it into the crock pot and walk away. There is a bit to do at the end, but it's worth it. :)

Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups diced potatoes
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup diced onion
3 1/4 cups ham (or however much you have, or just toss in the ham bone assuming there's still meat on it)
3 1/4 cups water or chicken broth
6 chicken bullion cubes (or 3 if you use broth--I used "better than bullion" vegetable base)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
5 Tbsp flour
5 Tbsp butter
2 cups milk (I use fat free, but it doesn't matter)

Spray crock pot with cooking spray and stir potatoes through pepper into the crockpot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. If you use a ham bone, about 30 minutes before serving remove the bone, cut away ham from it, dice it, and stir ham back into crock pot. About 20 minutes before serving, melt butter in a saucepan, add flour and gradually add milk, stirring constantly over medium heat until thick. Stir mixture into crockpot. Let cook 15-20 minutes more.

Especially good served with some sharp cheddar cheese, chives, and crumbled bacon, but very tasty just as it is.