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Everybody has them, even people who love cooking. Even people who love to toil for hours in the kitchen. Even people who like variety in their diets, who won't admit it even if you caught them in the act.

Everybody has them. Those easy meals. The ones you put together at the last minute with stuff you always have on hand, because they are quick, filling, and don't require any thought whatsoever.

In our house, we have a few different meals like this. Stirfry. Pasta and sauce with ground turkey. Burritos. These are the worker bee meals, the ones that neither of us will ever sigh over in contentment or triumph, but they take very little time and effort and we're both full afterward. We don't resort to these meals especially often these days, particularly because Dan's only taking one class (and working) so it's not like last semester where he was out of the house from 8 am to 7 pm or 9 pm every day. Nope, so far this summer we've done a lot of experimenting, a lot of trying out of new ideas, a lot of exploring our culinary ranges. However, there's something to be said for these go-to meals, the unsung heroes of those of us that can't afford to (or don't want to) eat out.

Here are two versions of burritos. Version one is how I make them, and version two is how Dan makes them. Both versions are good (but mine are better, haha). Each takes little time, effort, and preparation, each can be made with ingredients we pretty much always have on hand, and each will fill your belly.

MLE's Burritos

1 can refried beans (black, with jalapenos, whatever, as long as there's no lard in 'em), heated in a pan on the stove (add a little water to help smooth them out)
1/2 pound ground turkey, browned and seasoned with whatever sounds tasty (chili powder, garlic, etc.)
lettuce
red or green bell pepper
yellow onion
tomato (if in season)
salsa
whole wheat tortillas
sharp cheddar or pepper jack cheese

Heat beans in pan on stove. Brown ground turkey, drain liquid and season. Heat whole wheat tortilla in frying pan, turning once and sprinkling with sharp cheddar cheese. Remove tortilla from heat to plate, and add a spoonfull of beans, some turkey, lettuce, bell pepper, onion, tomato, and a generous dollop of salsa. Fold up sides and roll up. Eat.

Dan's Burritos

1 can refried beans (see above)
1/2 pound ground turkey
1-2 yukon gold potatoes, chopped into small cubes
1/2 green or red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
salsa
1 can chicken green chili (optional)
Serve with mexican rice (white rice cooked and 1/2 can of tomatoes with jalapenos mixed in) (optional)

Brown turkey in small frying pan, drain. Sautee potatoes, bell pepper, and onion in medium frying pan until nearly cooked; add turkey and refried beans. Stir. Season with chili powder, cumin, garlic, and sometimes cinnamon (I know, but it's tasty!). Add generous amount of salsa. Microwave 2 whole wheat tortillas for a few seconds to soften. When bean mixture is heated through, sprinkle with sharp cheddar cheese. Scoop generous helping into tortilla, roll up, and top burrito with some green chili (it's a staple around these parts, usually made with pork, but we can get a chicken kind at the store too). Add torn lettuce leaf to your wife's burrito before rolling because she is an infidel and likes lettuce in her burritoes.

Both versions will end up with leftover filling if you are serving 2 people.