Mexican Chorizo Skillet

Served with fresh garden tomatoes and sweet corn from Baldwin Farms

If you're a regular reader, you know I'm boycotting Chipotle. (See my Five Words to Ruin a Date with a Farmer post.) Even my 3-year-old granddaughter has to choose an alternative to the "rice and beans place" if we're paying for the meal.

So, I will just beat them at their own game. My version will be less expensive, and it won't offend me or my other farmer friends.

Jill tried this Mexican Chorizo Skillet and emailed the link to me and to Brent. She told us it was from her favorite blog. I was just a little offended. But I like Iowa Girl Eats, too, so I let it slide. Well, sort of: I did email her back and say, "Your FAVORITE blog???!!!"

After we got that straight, I did give it a try. I've never used chorizo before, so I wasn't sure whether it would be too spicy for us. Somehow, our kids have more adventurous palates when it comes to the spice factor.

But the rice and beans smoothed out the spicy meat mixture. Randy rolled up the mixture in a flour tortilla. I topped a dinner-sized salad with the meat mixture. Recipe success! Take that, Chipotle!

Mexican Chorizo Skillet

(with Sweet Potatoes, Rice and Black Beans)

Adapted from Iowa Girl Eats

1/2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 small sweet potato, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch cubes (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup chopped onion
6 oz. Mexican pork chorizo
1/2 cup black beans
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup salsa verde
1/2 cup long grain white rice
Add-ons:  Chopped cilantro, guacamole, shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, salsa, ranch dressing, tortilla strips or chips, etc.

Put olive oil in a large skillet and meat to medium. Add chopped sweet potatoes and onions; saute for 4 to 5 minutes or until potatoes are just beginning to turn tender. Add chorizo, then turn heat up slightly. Saute until cooked through, breaking up the chorizo as it cooks.

Add black beans, chicken broth and salsa verde to the skillet. Turn heat up to bring to a boil. Add rice; stir to combine. Place a lid on top, turn heat down, and simmer until rice is tender, 15 to 18 minutes, adding more chicken broth at the end, if needed (I didn't need to).

Serving optons:

• Sprinkle with any of the add-ins. Serve as is - with a fork or use chips as your eating utensils.
• Put mixture in a flour or corn tortilla and roll up for a soft taco. Top with desired add-ons.  
• Make a dinner-sized romaine salad with fresh tomatoes and other veggies. Top with about 1/2 cup of the meat mixture and any of the other add-ins. Drizzle with salsa and ranch dressing and enjoy! (Not pictured)

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An update on my internet saga: I finally got a phone call from a service technician Wednesday, after a full week of not having internet access at home. And he isn't coming until August 12. Let's hope he loads the truck with all possible tools/repairs/equipment needed, since he'll be coming from Wichita. And, at that point, I will have been without internet for 2 weeks. I wish I had more options! I am thankful to my parents, the church and the Hutchinson Public Library for helping connect me to the web, but it sure isn't as convenient as my house!