Smothered Burritos

 

When you’re craving something special, is there a particular cuisine that appeals? For me it’s Mexican, or at least the American version of Mexican food that I have grown to love over the years. These smothered burritos never fail to satisfy that culinary lust. They are stupidly simple to put together, but the entire process takes a bit of time because the beef is best when slow cooked and refrigerated overnight, maximizing the flavor. After that is accomplished, assembly is simple, and these have been known to please a crowd.Smothered Burritos

 For the beef:

1 2-2.5 lb. chuck roast

1 1-oz. pkg. taco seasoning mix

1 10-oz. can Rotel tomatoes*, undrained

 Place chuck roast into the bottom of a 4-5 quart slow cooker. Sprinkle taco seasoning over the top, and pour over tomatoes to cover. Cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours until meat is tender. Remove meat, shred with two forks, removing pieces of fat. Return meat to the slow cooker for 15 minutes.

Place meat into a lidded container, and refrigerate overnight.

 To Assemble:

8 large (burrito-size) flour tortillas

1 16-oz can refried beans

2 10-oz cans enchilada sauce

1 lb. white American cheese, shredded, divided

Fresh cilantro for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 375° degrees. Spray a 9” x 13” baking dish with PAM. Pour 1 can of enchilada sauce into the bottom of the baking dish and spread evenly. If any juices or sauce remains from the cooked beef, add it as well.

 Slightly warm refrigerated beef in a microwave or pan on the stove.

 Arrange tortillas on a clean work surface. Divide refried beans among the tortillas, spreading them in a line across the center of the tortilla. Top beans with a generous amount of beef, and then shredded cheese to cover. Wrap each “burrito style,” i.e. fold the sides over the filling, fold the bottom up to cover the filling, and roll.

 Place each filled burrito seam side down into the baking dish.

Slowly drizzle remaining can of enchilada sauce over burritos, being sure to cover every bit of the tortillas.

Top each burrito with remaining cheese.

 Cover loosely with foil, tenting if necessary to avoid sticking to the cheese. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until cheese is completely melted and sauce is bubbly.

 Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro. Serve with burrito toppings of your choice, e.g. pico de gallo, salsa, sour cream, black olives, diced red onion, guacamole, shredded lettuce, etc.

 *Diced tomatoes and green chilies

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