Beef and Ben Enchilada Casserole

Ingredients:
1 pound of ground beef
1 small chopped onion
1/2 cup hot water
1 15-ounce can of pinto beans
1 15-ounce can of black beans
1 can diced tomatoes and chilis
1 16-ounce container of sour cream
6 large flour or 12 small corn tortillas
1 can enchilada sauce
1 cup grated cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin

Instructions:

• Brown ground beef and onions together and drain off fat.

• Add spices and water and stir for about one minute.

• Drain and rinse beans.

• Stir beans into beef mixture

• Drain tomatoes and chilis and stir into beef and bean mixture.

• Line the bottom of an 13" x 9" casserole dish with tortillas

• Spread one-third of beef mixture onto tortillas.

• Top with one-third of sour cream.

• Sprinkle with one-third of cheese.
• Pour one-third of enchilada sauce over top.
• Add two more similar layers.
• Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
• Remove cover and bake 10 minutes to melt and brown cheese.
• Serve warm.

Beef and Bean Chimichangas

This is a recipe I adapted using leftovers from one by The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond.  I had set up a buffet to build-your-own nachos for Father's Day.  We enjoyed the Loaded Nacho recipe found HERE as a rerun the next day but I wanted something a little different after that and there was still a lot of beef and bean filling left.  So, I adapted this Baked Chimichanga recipe and it turned out to be yummy!

Leftover beef and bean mixture (See further info in the Loaded Nacho recipe link above.)
8 ounces cream cheese
Tortillas (I used Tomato-Basil flavored ones but any will work fine.)
Grated Cheese (I used a Mexican Blend.)
vegetable spray
Pico De Gallo (See further info in the Loaded Nacho recipe link above.)
cheese sauce (I bought one but you could also easily make one.)
sour cream (optional unless you are married to my husband)

• Gently warm the beef and bean mixture in a skillet.

• Add cream cheese and stir as it melts into the beef and bean mixture.

• Take one flour tortilla and add a dollop or two of the beef/bean/cream cheese mixture.

• Top with a spoon full of kernel corn.

• Sprinkle with a little bit of grated cheeses.  

• Gently fold the tortilla in at the top and bottom a little bit and gently fold the sides over the dollop of filling and roll it into a bundle.  (I didn't forget to take a picture of this step but I didn't have enough hands and Toby didn't feel confident serving as photographer!)
• Lay the tortilla bundles (chimichanga) seam-side-down onto a foil lined baking sheet that has been sprayed lightly with vegetable spray.

• Lightly spray the tops of the chimichangas with vegetable spray.  (See how they glisten with the light spritz of oil?)
• Bake 15 minutes at 350 degrees.
• Flip chimichangas and bake an additional 5-10 minutes till the tortilla is crisp and golden.

Serve with rice, Pico De Gallo, cheese sauce, and, if you are my husband, sour cream.

Note:  I froze a couple of these and then sent it to work with Mike a day or two later and he says it tasted just as delicious.

Baked Chimichangas

8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
8 oz. Pepperjack cheese, shredded
1/2 pkg. taco seasoning
1 lb. cooked meat (shredded chicken or loose, browned ground beef is what I have used)
6-8 flour tortillas
vegetable spray
shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheese
green onions
sour cream or guacamole
salsa

• Stir together cream cheese, Pepperjack cheese, and seasoning.
• Fold in meat.
• Divide among flour tortillas.
• tuck in sides of tortillas and roll up each one.
• Cover a cookie sheet with foil and spray generously with vegetable cooking spray.
• Lay, seam side down, onto the foil-lined baking sheet.
• Spray tops of tortillas with vegetable cooking spray.
• Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.
• Turn chimichangas over and bake an additional 15 minutes.
• Serve topped with cheddar and mozzarella cheeses, green onions, sour cream, and salsa.

Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas

1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup salsa or picante sauce
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1/2 cup shredded Monteray Jack or Mexican Blend cheese
6-8 flour tortillas
1 small tomato, chopped
1 green onion, chopped

I used a couple of frozen chicken breasts to make this dish.  Simply browned them in a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of bacon grease.

Then, I used the Pampered Chef Salad Choppers to cut the hot chicken breasts into chunks.  It made fast work of the chopping, speeded up my prep time, and prevented my fingers from burning!

• Heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Stir soup, sour cream, salsa, and chili powder together in a medium bowl.

• In a large bowl, mix chicken, 1 cup of soup mixture, and cheese together to make filling.

• Divide chicken mixture among tortillas, roll one-by-one, and place seam-side down in a 13x9 baking dish.
• Pour remaining soup mixture over filled tortillas.
• Cover baking dish.
• Bake 40 minutes or till enchiladas are hot and bubbling.  (I baked for about 30 minutes covered and uncovered for the last 8-10 minutes to reach a rich golden brown.
• Top with tomato and onion and serve with Mexican or Spanish rice and pico de gallo.