Tortillas come in packs of 10

10 tortillas.  2 sets of distinguishing tastebuds.  3 blogworthy recipes.

So, you’ve picked up a package of tortillas at the grocery store; you’re planning some Mexican fare.  After your initial batch of quesadillas to quench your craving, you’re stumped.  You have 8 tortillas left and zero inspiration.  Not to mention the 1/2 filled cans of black beans you have hanging out in your fridge (told ya, you should cook from dry beans!).   Here I provide you with a number of recipes to use those leftover quantities up.

Sweet Potato Black Bean Burritos (adapted from a Moosewood recipe)

Tortilla count: 4
Bean count: 1 cup

1 1/4 cup cooked sweet potato, cubed (1 medium potato)
1 cup black beans
1/2 onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp lemon juice

This is my ultimate food processor recipe.  Drag that baby out and get ‘er cranking.  If you don’t have a food processor, simply flip to the Home Shopping Network; I’m sure they’ll feature one any second.  Buy it.

Chop onions and garlic in FP using your pulse setting.  Saute these veggies stove top with salt, coriander, cumin.  Return ingredients to food processor with cooked sweet potatoes and beans.  I usually peel and steam my sweet potatoes because it is quick.  But they can be baked (leftovers from earlier sweet potato adventures) or microwaved (if you must).  Add lemon juice.  Pulse to combine.  Stuff tortillas.  Bake in oven at 350 for 30 minutes.

Note: Um, this is the best burrito recipe ever. You will eat one bite and not be able to stop.  You will gorge yourself.  You will crave these burritos for days on end.  Your stomach will hurt.  But you won’t care.

Black Bean Tortilla Pie (recipe morphed from many sources)

Tortilla count: 2
Bean count: 1 cup

1/2 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bell pepper, minced
1 cup black beans
1 can diced tomatoes
1 T chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 t cumin
1 t coriander
1 cup corn
2 tortillas

Saute onions, garlic, and bell pepper with spices stovetop.  Add can of diced peppers and simmer 20 minutes to reduce.  Add 1/3 of this mixture to a circular baking dish.  Top with 1 tortilla.  Add 1/2 the corn and top with 1/3 more of the bean mixture.  Add the last tortilla, finish the corn off, and add the last bit of bean mixture.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, adding cheddar cheese during last 10 minutes of baking if desired.

This recipe is a wonderful option for “freeze-it-and-forget-it.”  Assemble and freeze.  Simple.  Thaw out during the day you plan to bake and then cook as directed.

Black Bean Burrito Bake (Cooking Light)
Tortilla count: 4
Bean count: 1.5 cups

1 (7-ounce) can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed, drained, and divided
1 cup frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed
4 (8-inch) flour tortillas
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.

Remove one chile from can. Chop chile. Reserve remaining adobo sauce and chiles for another use. Combine sour cream and chile in a medium bowl; let stand 10 minutes.

Place half of beans in a food processor; process until finely chopped. Add chopped beans, remaining beans, and corn to sour cream mixture.

Spoon 1/2 cup bean mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll up tortillas; place, seam side down, in an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spread salsa over tortillas; sprinkle with cheese. Cover and bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Note: I made this recipe as listed on CookingLight.  As with most CL recipes (I’ve found, at least), the end result was rather bland.  Next time I will add 1/2 tsp salt to the filling along with a heavy handful of fresh, chopped, cilantro.  The original recipe did call for the burritos to be baked in the oven covered with a jar of salsa, but I was looking for a eat-with-your-hands recipe so I skipped the salsa.  Maybe it was critical.  Who knows.