Since I live in a rural area, sometimes it’s impossible to get to the grocery store to grab something for dinner. However, now that I think of it, even when living in the city proper, it can still be impossible to get to the market. That’s when we are faced with searching the fridge and pantry for inspiration, in hopes to make something everyone in our household will be happy with.
I have to say, rotisserie chicken has saved me many times. I make it a point to shred the chicken leftovers right after we have feasted on it for a meal. Still at the table, I pick it apart as I drink that last glass of wine. I find it’s much easier to do it right then and get it out of the way. I can then use the leftovers for chicken salad, in eggs, and today it was burritos.
I threw this meal together with 2 cups of leftover chicken, a can of black beans, five leftover tortillas and some cheese. It turned out so good because instead of just wrapping and serving the burrito, I fried it a little in the skillet. Wow, it was excellent. It kind of elevated it’s burrito status, making it very “chimichanga” like, without the need for deep frying.
The beauty of this recipe is you don’t need exact amounts of anything, use what you have and make as many burritos as you want.
Anyway, the burritos were awesome and I didn’t have to leave my house to get dinner on the table. Hopefully you can find inspiration in your fridge tonight, it’s easier than you think.
Cheesy Chicken and Black Bean Burritos
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon Canola oil
- 1/2 cup Chopped onion
- 2 cups Shredded rotisserie chicken
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground cumin
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1 (15 ounce) can Black beans, rinsed and drained
- 5 (6-inch) Flour tortillas*
- 3 cups Shredded pepper jack cheese (I used Tillamook, my favorite kind)
- Cooking spray
- Optional garnishes: Habanero cream, sour cream, pico de gallo, salsa
Directions
- Heat a large skillet over med-low heat. Add oil, letting it get a little hot, then add onions, frying about 2 minutes just to soften. Add chicken and toss with the onions. Add chili powder and cumin to the skillet, making sure seasonings are fully combined with chicken and onion mixture. Add garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Turn off heat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss mixture with black beans.
- Divide chicken mixture evenly among tortillas along with cheese. Roll up each burrito by tucking in the sides and rolling the middle to one side. Remove any extra filling leftover in the skillet and place on the stove on med-low heat. Coat each burrito with cooking spray. Place burritos in pan; cook a couple minutes on each side until browned. Top with sour cream or salsa.
- *10-inch flour tortillas work best when it comes to rolling the perfect burrito, the six-inch worked well as long as you don't overfill.
And here is what is really going on when you step back from the food I am photographing. She is never more than a foot away and is always hoping a little morsel makes it to the floor.