Chicken Burritos Mojados

Move over Chipotle and Qdoba, there is a new burrito in town!

Cinco de Mayo is kind of a big deal around here because it is the one faux-holiday that Paul has marked and ready to go in his calendar. Although this year, he actually asked me: "When is Cinco de Mayo?" I still am not sure whether he was kidding or not.

See, it is not Paul's deep-seeded love for the rich, cultural history of Mexico nor his passion for the language. I'm pretty sure the only Spanish words he knows are enchilada, quesadilla, queso, and pretty much any other Spanish word that can be found on a Taco Bell menu.

No, Paul just loves Mexican food. I'm pretty sure he never met a burrito he didn't like. He would gladly polish off a gigantic bowl of guacamole for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Whenever I serve anything hispanic for dinner, I get an extra kiss and the exclamation: "Kids! Your Mother is a great cook!" Add in a dessert course of Mexican flan and he is an even happier man.

So, for Cinco de Mayo this year, I decided to make this recipe that I spied recently on Josie's blog. Reading the description made my mouth water: chicken cooked in a red chile sauce, mexican rice and pinto beans, fresh avocado, and cilantro wrapped in a gigantic tortilla and then smothered with three sauces. I was sold!!

There is a bit of prep required for this recipe, but nothing is difficult and it all comes together pretty quickly and smoothly. Plus, the burritos bake in the oven for a good 20-30 minutes allowing time for clean-up, table setting, and child corralling.

I cannot stress enough how good these were! Seriously, way better and fresh than anything you can buy out at a restaurant. Paul was obsessed - he stuffed himself to the gills the first night and then enjoyed the leftovers for a couple days afterwards. Emma thought they were delicious. The only holdout (big surprise here) was Matthew, who thought they were "too spicy". I assure you, they were not. We're working on him. Regardless, this recipe is a keeper and will definitely be repeated! (And SOON!)

Chicken Burritos Mojados
found on Pink Parsley, originally from  ATK's The Best Mexican Recipes

2 1/4 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup long grain white rice, rinsed to remove starch
1 (15-oz) can pinto beans, drained
4 tablespoons chili powder
salt and pepper
3 scallions, thinly sliced
2 Tbs vegetable oil
1/2 large white onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
2 (8-oz) cans tomato sauce
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
6 (10-inch) flour tortillas (BIG tortillas)
2 avocados, halved, pitted, and cut into 1/2inch pieces
8 oz Monterey Jack Cheese, shredded
1 1/2 cups tomatillo salsa
1/2 cup sour cream, thinned with a bit of milk until it is of drizzling consistency

Bring 1 1/4 cups of the broth, rice, beans, 2 teaspoons of chile powder, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.  Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until the rice is tender and the broth is absorbed, about 20 minutes.  Remove from heat, and allow to sit for 10 minutes, covered.  Stir in the scallions and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and cook until it's just softened, 4-5 minutes.  Stir in the garlic, remaining 3 Tbs chile powder, and cumin, and cook until fragrant, about one minute.  Stir in the tomato sauce and remaining 1 cup of broth and bring to a simmer.  Nestle the chicken breasts into the sauce, cover, and reduce heat to medium-low.  Cook until the chicken is cooked through and registers 160 degrees, about 10 to 15 minutes, flipping halfway through.  Transfer the chicken to a cutting board, and once it's cool enough to handle, shred or chop into bite-sized pieces.  Taste the red sauce and season with salt and pepper as needed.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the rice and beans mixture, chicken, 1/4 cup of the red sauce, 2 Tbs of the cilantro, and cheese.  Season with salt and pepper and stir well.

Wrap the tortillas in a damp kitchen towel and microwave until they are warm, about one minute.

Working 1-2 tortillas at a time, mound 1 cup of the chicken and rice mixture in the center of each tortilla  Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of avocado.  Fold the sides then the bottom of the tortilla over the filling, pulling back on it to tighten around the filling.  Roll tightly into a burrito.  Place the burrito seam side-down on the prepared baking sheet, and repeat with the remaining tortillas.  Cover rightly with foil, and bake until heated throughout, 20 to 30 minutes.

As the burritos are cooking, microwave the tomatillo salsa until hot, about 1 minute.

To serve, distribute the burritos to individual plates.  Pour the tomatillo sauce over half of each burrito, and pour the red sauce over the other half.  Drizzle with cream, sprinkle with cilantro, and serve.