Pantry clearing leads to casserole

Some of my best

(and worst) recipes are the result of improvisational cooking. Staring at a pile of ingredients, but no real plan.

That’s how this casserole came about.

The aforementioned pile of ingredi- ents were items that I culled from my pantry during an organizing spree. Cans of enchilada sauce and salsa ranchera a couple of months past their “best by” dates, an open bag of rice, some seasoning packets I bought on impulse and promptly forgot about and a can of kidney beans — surprise! — missing most of its label.

In the fridge, I found a pound of ground turkey, some odd vegetables and an open block of cheddar cheese. As I looked everything over, burritos came to mind.

I did not, however, have any large flour tortillas.

So I made the next best thing — a casserole.

A casserole that tastes like a burrito sans (or should I say ‘sin’)

the tortilla.

Clean Out the Pantry Casserole aka Burrito Bake

1 cup long-grain rice 1 envelope Sazon, optional 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 pound ground turkey

½ red bell pepper, diced ½ onion, diced

½ jalapeno, seeded and

minced

1 (7-ounce) can salsa ranchera

(see note)

1 (15-ounce) can kidney or

black beans, drained 1 (15-ounce) can red

enchilada sauce

8 ounces to 1 pound shredded cheddar cheese (I like lots of cheese) Garnishes such as cilantro,

salsa, avocado, sour cream

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium pot, combine the rice, Sazon seasoning and

1 ½ cups water. Bring to a boil, stir once, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook 20 minutes. Do not remove lid while rice cooks.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil until shimmering. Add the turkey, bell pepper, onion and jalapeno and cook, breaking the turkey into crumbles, until turkey is no longer pink and vegetables are tender. Stir in the rice, salsa ranchera and beans. Spread half of the mixture in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Top with half of the cheese. Spoon the remaining turkey-rice mixture over the cheese. Pour the enchilada sauce over the turkey-rice mixture, then top with the remaining cheese. Bake 25 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Serve with desired garnishes. Makes 6 to 8 servings. Note: Salsa ranchera is a highly seasoned cooked salsa that features roasted tomatoes and chile peppers.