One of my favorite memories is lunch in junior high school. Kraemer Junior High in Placentia California was a large school that had only two grades, 7th & 8th. The school had an open plan and all the rooms opened to the outside. So naturally we often ate our lunch outside. We had a kitchen that served lunches in tin foil dishes that were reheated at our school. But the best lunch came from the vending machines on the quad. For 75 cents I would get a cup of cold red fruit punch and a hot burrito. To this day I have not found a burrito that tastes just like it. Once the government decided that school lunches needed to be healthier the vending machines disappeared.
Why am I writing about burritos? Well, the first Thursday in April is National Burrito day. Burritos are technically a type of taco but with two requirements: it has to be made with a flour tortilla and it must be folded with closed ends. Bare bones burritos are beans and cheese, while others have a multitude of ingredients like shredded meat, rice, refried beans, onions, and cheese. Wet burritos are those covered in sauce. Chimichangas are deep fried burritos. There are burritos for every meal including breakfast. Burritos are like a little casserole wrapped in a tortilla. This week’s recipe is for a burrito casserole. I have included two recipes; one that is from scratch and one that uses shortcuts. Both are good it just depends on how much time you have to cook.
Smothered burritos
Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 ½ tsp chilli powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp garlic powder
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 small onion diced
1 TBLSP tomato paste
1/3 cup water
5-6 burrito sized tortillas
8.8 oz package prepared Mexican or Spanish rice warmed in the microwave per package instructions
16 ox can refried beans warmed in the microwave
10 oz can red enchilada sauce
8 oz shredded cheese
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a large skillet cook the onions and garlic in the olive oil over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the ground beef and brown while crumbling until it is cooked through. Add the salt, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and oregano. Give it a good stir. Stir in the tomato paste to coat the beef and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the water and mix. Remove from the heat. Prepare a large casserole dish with 3 Tbsp. enchilada sauce; spread it across the bottom of the dish. Assemble burritos by layering each tortilla with refried beans, ground beef, rice and cheese, then roll into a burrito. Lay seam side down in the prepared pan. Top with remaining enchilada sauce. Finish by sprinkling the remaining cheese over the burritos. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes.
Quick burrito casserole
Ingredients:
8 frozen burritos, unwrapped (pick the fillings you like)
2 10 oz cans red enchilada sauce
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
Sour cream and salsa
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Arrange burritos in a 9×13” baking dish, 6 in a row, and 2 turned sideways to fill out the dish. Top with enchilada sauce. Place in preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes. Add cheese and continue baking until the cheese is melted (about 5 more minutes). Top with sour cream and salsa if desired.
Courtesy photo
