Sassy's Famous All-Purpose Burrito Filling

This recipe can be varied quite a bit by using cut-up boneless chicken in place of the ground beef or turkey, substituting black beans, etc. I usually do black beans if I use chicken, and chili beans with ground meat. You can also use petite diced tomatoes without the chiles if you prefer. Also, even if you think you don't like brown rice, I've been told you can't tell the difference in this recipe and it really is so much healthier. The texture holds up better than white rice will in this recipe.

1 cup brown rice
1 to 1.5 lbs ground beef or turkey
1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles (like Rotel)
1 can chili beans or ranch-style beans

Large flour tortillas
Shredded cheese, sour cream, salsa, etc. for garnish

Start rice cooking with 2 1/2 cups of water in a medium saucepan.
In a large, deep skillet that has a lid, brown meat and drain fat if needed. Add tomatoes w/ chiles and beans to meat without draining (unless you use beans packed in unseasoned liquid instead of the chili beans). Stir and season as desired with salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, etc. (If you're not good with spice amounts, start with 1/2 tsp of each and then add a little more if needed.) Simmer, stirring occasionally, until rice is at least half-way cooked (about 15 minutes). Dump rice with its remaining water in with meat mixture, stir, and cover. Simmer another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until rice is tender. Serve wrapped in tortillas or over crushed tortilla chips or in a "taco" salad. This recipe makes a ton, too, so it's great for lunch the next day.