Freezer Tip

I may have posted this before but this is such a good tip I want to tell you about it again. When freezing things like sauces, tomatoes, pork and beans etc. Fill freezer bag with the amount you will need for one meal or what you will use in one recipe such as one pint of tomatoes or two cups of pork and beans (one can). Lay bag flat and press the ingredients flat while getting out all the air. This saves so much space in your freezer you won't believe it.

Really Good Spanish Rice

I also made Spanish rice tonight to go along with the burritos. It turned out really good, but I made way too much and froze the leftovers for two more meals. This is the recipe:

1 cup rice
about 1 tbs oil (whatever kind is your favorite, I just used salad oil)
one diced bell pepper
about 1/4 medium onion finely chopped
pint of tomato sauce (mine is homemade from last summer's tomatoes)
1 tbs taco seasoning

Saute onion and pepper in oil for a couple of minutes add tomato sauce and the taco seasoning and then rice. Bring to boil and then reduce to simmer. Cover pan and stir every once in a while so rice is not sticking to pan. You may have to add water along the way if rice thickens too much before it is done. It took about 30 minutes to cook. The was the best Spanish rice I had ever made. Forgot to take a picture though.

Homemade Beef Cheese and Bean Burritto

I made these yummy beef, bean and cheese burritos from scratch and they were so good.

To start with you will need to make this taco seasoning recipe:

* 1 tbs chili powder
* 1/4 tsp garlic powder or granulated
* 1/4 tsp onion powder
* 1/4 tsp cayenne
* 1/4 tsp dried oregano
* 1/2 tsp paprika
* 2 tsp ground cumin
* 1 tsp course salt
I make big quantities of this and keep in a jar.

Now make the tortillas from my earlier post on breakfast burritos. The recipe makes about ten tortillas.

Now for the mix for the inside:

I cooked two cups of pinto beans with water and polish sausage along with one tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper for about 5 to 6 hours or until beans are tender.

Brown 1 lb. ground beef with chopped onion, I used about a 1/2 of a medium onion. Drain ground beef and add 2 cups of the cooked pinto beans with 4 tbs of the taco mix and one pint of tomatoes. Cook until mixture thickens. Let cool.

ready your tortilla for filling. Place 1/2 slice of pepper jack cheese, a pinch of shredded cheddar cheese, and a spoonful of the beef and bean mixture, another pinch of the cheddar cheese and a spoonful of the mixture, continue until burrito is full and wrap in plastic wrap.

Now you can freeze them and take out as many as you need for later use.

I made some tonight. Put them in a oven pan and smothered them in a tomato basil sauce I had made last summer, along with more shredded cheese on top. I cooked in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes. They were just great.