Monday: Black Bean Burritos with Fiesta Spoon Bread

Not sure what to make for a potluck? Rachel Ray's Fiesta Spoon bread is the perfect side dish for a potluck or party. I have made it numerous times through the years, and have gotten rave reviews from it. What's the difference between spoon bread and cornbread? Spoon bread is a lot creamier and you have to use a spoon to eat it. Cornbread is firm enough to eat with your hands. 

Pair the spoon bread with these easy, yet tasty Cooking Light black bean burritos and you've got a match!

Black Bean Burrito Recipe
4 servings

1 (7oz) can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (I didn't have a can of this, so I used 1 tsp chili powder and 1/2 roasted bell pepper chopped)

1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream

1 (15oz)can black beans, rinsed and drained (or use frozen black beans that you made earlier...see How to Make Beans )

1 cup frozen corn, thawed
4 flour tortillas, 8-inch 
1 cup bottled salsa

1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese


1. Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F.
2. Remove one chile from can, chop up. If you don't have the adobo sauce chili, see instructions above. Combine sour cream and chopped chile or chili powder and bell pepper. Let stand 10 minutes.  
3. Place half of beans in a food processor. Process until finely chopped. Add chopped beans, remaining beans, and corn to sour cream mix. 
4. Spoon 1/2 cup bean mixture down center of each tortilla. Roll up tortillas, and place seam sides down, in an 11x7 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spread salsa over tortillas, sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated. If making with the fiesta spoon bread, place burritos in oven, after you have cooked the spoon bread the first 15 minutes. That way, they will both be ready at the same time.

Fiesta Spoon Bread Recipe 
 6 servings

 1 (14.75 oz) can creamed corn 
1 red bell pepper, roasted and chopped (see instructions below for the roasting)

2 scallions or green onion, chopped

2 large eggs
1 stick butter, melted
1/2 cup half-and-half

1/2 tsp salt
1 cup cornmeal

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 lb sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (3 cups)


1. Turn on broiler. Place bell pepper in a baking dish, and heat for about 3-4 minutes on each side, until it has blackened all over. Remove from oven, place in a plastic sandwich bag, stick in the fridge and let sit for 15 minutes. Remove bell pepper, take off blackened peel (should come off easily), seed and chop.
2. Turn oven to 400 degrees F. Use cooking spray on a 2 quart or 8 inch square baking dish. Set aside. In a medium bowl, stir together corn, bell pepper, scallions, eggs, butter, half-and-half and salt. In a small bowl, sift together cornmeal and baking soda. Add to corn mixture. Stir in cheese. Stir until just combined, don't over mix. 

3. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish and bake for 15 minutes. Turn heat down to 350 degrees F. Bake for another 20 minutes or until set. Serve hot. Voila!
  

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Plan and Prep Ahead

Here are some helpful techniques to make life a little easier once dinner time hits. These tips will especially help those that work full-time and don't have a lot of time to prepare dinner.

~Make sour cream mix for burritos ahead of time and keep in fridge. 
~Chop up veggies for spoon bread and keep in fridge. 

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Who likes to CHANGE IT UP?

~Add chopped sausage to fiesta spoon bread.
~Use a different cheese like mozzarella, swiss or pepper jack instead of monterey jack.

~Chop up some cilantro and add to fiesta spoon bread mixture.

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