Recipe #4: Homemade Hodge Burritos

Whenever the boys are hungry and hankering for some comfort food, they usually ask me to make a Hodge. A hodge is simply an Adams version of a tasty, comforting concoction made from whatever ingredients are on hand, and it can take the form of anything - chili, soup, enchiladas, burritos, chimichangas, you name it. It probably originated from all the years we spent on Les Îles, when the size of the grocery store made cooking substitutions the norm...

Anyway, the ethnic recipe on the menu for last night's dinner was "Middle Eastern Beef Pita Sandwiches." But at about 5:00 p.m., somebody wandered into the kitchen to see what was for dinner, and asked hopefully if I might be making a hodge, at which point everyone starting clamoring for it. :) I was very happy to comply! And since I would have posted about the sandwiches, I'll post instead about the burritos I ended up making...

E's Hodge Burritos

Ingredients

4 tbsp oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped 
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
3 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 lb colby-jack cheese, grated
10 fajita-sized tortillas
2 tbsp butter
4 tbsp chopped cilantro, plus extra for garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 400. In a large pot, heat 2 tbsp oil and add the onion. Cook for a couple of minutes, then add the bell pepper and the beef, breaking it up with a fork. When the beef is browned, drain excess fat, then add all of the spices to the meat and mix well. Add the beans, tomatoes, cilantro, and cheese.

Oil a large baking sheet. In a small bowl, melt the butter, then add about 2 tbsp oil, stirring well to combine. Fill tortillas with the meat mixture, making the burritos as fat or skinny as you like. You can use bigger or smaller tortillas - remember, it's a hodge, so anything goes. :)

Place the burritos snuggled into each other in a row along the pan, putting any extra burritos along the edges if needed. Brush tops of tortillas with the oil-butter mixture, then bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the burritos look nice and crispy. Garnish with cilantro and serve with burrito accompaniments.

Note: A hodge is, by nature, adaptable. You can take the same ingredients (minus the tortillas), add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and more beans, and you've got a chili. Or smother the burritos in enchilada sauce and voila! Enchies. So... go ahead and use this recipe as a guide, and make the boys in your life happy with hot & tasty hodges! :)