Wagon Wheel Supper

Late February into early March. Spring practice opened Monday at Eldorado Prep. Three weeks. The first day was the kind of day you cannot replicate — fifty new freshmen and sophomores on the field who had never put on a varsity helmet before, the returning juniors and seniors stepping into the leadership roles they had been waiting for, the staff installing the basic offensive and defensive looks we will run all year, the smell of fresh-cut grass, the sound of cleats on the turf. Twenty-third year of doing this. Still hits me on day one.

The big position battle this spring is at quarterback. Marcus is a senior. The backup is a junior named Ethan who has been waiting two years for his shot but who will play behind Marcus all spring and summer. The freshman QB who is coming up to varsity is a kid named Luis Vega who threw for three thousand yards as an eighth grader (an eighth grader, in our middle school program, with an arm that is one of the most natural arms I have seen at that age) and who is going to spend two years on JV before taking over varsity as a junior. Luis came out for the first practice and threw the ball with a velocity that made Mike Reyes's eyes widen. Mike said, "Carlos. That kid." I said, "I know." Mike said, "We have to be careful with him." I said, "Yes we do." Luis is fourteen. He is going to be the program's QB for the next four years. We are going to bring him along slowly.

Diego came home from Monday's practice with his face dusty and his arms sore. He said, "Dad. Last spring." I said, "Yeah, mijo. Last spring." He said, "I am going to miss this." I said, "I am going to miss you." He said, "Dad." I said, "Diego." He said, "It is okay. We have a long time before August." I said, "We do." He went to take a shower. I sat at the kitchen island and ate a leftover burrito and tried not to think about August.

Wednesday morning I made breakfast burritos for the team for the first film session of spring. Forty-eight burritos, wrapped in foil. The same burrito I have made for ten years. The kids ate them like communion wafers. Marcus said, "Coach, I am going to dream about these in college." I said, "Marcus, you have not been to college yet." He said, "I am going to dream about them now." He laughed. He took a third one to go.

Saturday I drove down to Colorado Springs again. Lisa and Carrie are going down every weekend now until the move. I went to help. I packed boxes. I drove the truck. I made beans. I came home Sunday night exhausted in a good way. The road bends. Feed your people. The game is won at the table.

Wednesday morning before the film session I was already at the stove at five-thirty, and the recipe I kept coming back to — the one that stretches, that scales, that holds up wrapped in foil for forty-eight hungry kids sitting in a dark film room — is this one. Wagon Wheel Supper sounds like a dinner, and it is, but the bones of it are the same bones I build my burritos from: a skillet full of something warm and filling that tastes like someone cared enough to make it from scratch. When Marcus took that third one to go, this was what he was taking with him.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 40 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef or ground turkey
1 1/2 cups wagon wheel pasta (rotelle), uncooked
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1 cup beef broth
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

Brown the meat. Heat olive oil in a large deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add ground beef or turkey and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned and cooked through, about 7–8 minutes. Drain excess fat and set meat aside.
Saute the vegetables. In the same skillet, add onion and bell pepper. Cook over medium heat until softened, about 4–5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
Build the sauce. Return the browned meat to the skillet. Stir in diced tomatoes (with juices), tomato sauce, and beef broth. Add chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
Add the pasta. Stir in the uncooked wagon wheel pasta, making sure it is submerged in the liquid. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 14–16 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.
Finish with cheese. Remove the skillet from heat. Scatter shredded cheddar evenly over the top, replace the lid, and let sit 2–3 minutes until the cheese is melted. Serve directly from the skillet.

Nutrition (per serving)

Wagon Wheel Supper — The Burrito That Feeds a Team and a Father’s Heart