Smothered Burritos

Every family has their own way of making burritos, and well, this is how it's made in my house!  By smothering the burritos in delicious red sauce and cheese and baking them, it makes the burritos so gooey and delicious.  It's definitely a fork-and-knife meal, but so worth it.  Make sure to top your burrito with your favorite toppings!  I never serve this meal without plenty of sour cream (or even better, crema), shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, and lots of ripe avocado.  

Smothered Burritos

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

Red Sauce Ingredients

1 Tbsp Olive Oil (or oil of choice)

1/2 Onion, chopped

1 to 2 Jalapeños (remove seeds & ribs for less heat)

2-3 Garlic Cloves

1 (28 oz) can of Crushed Tomatoes

1/2 tsp Salt

Burrito Filling Ingredients

1/2 Onion, diced

1 lb ground beef

1/8 Cup Water

1/3 Cup Red Sauce (from above)

4 oz Diced Green Chiles

1/2 Tbsp Chili Powder

1 tsp Paprika

1 tsp Ground Cumin

1 tsp Oregano (Mexican Oregano preferably)

1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

1/2 tsp Salt

1 1/2 Cups Monterrey Jack Cheese, shredded & divided

4 Large Flour Tortillas

Toppings (Optional)

Sour Cream

Shredded Lettuce

Diced Tomatoes

Chopped Avocados

Cilantro

DIRECTIONS

1.  To make the Red Sauce:  heat a medium saucepan over medium heat, swirl in the oil, and the add in the onions and jalapeños.  Sauté for 4-5 minutes, or until softened, and then add in the garlic and sauté for an additional minute.  Carefully pour in the crushed tomatoes, stir and season with salt, and then using an immersion blender, puree the sauce completely smooth.  Simmer, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes, and remove from heat.

2.  In a large skillet, cook half an onion and all the ground beef until beef is crumbled and no longer pink. Drain fat. Add in seasonings, water, and green chiles, and 1/3 a cup of the red sauce.  Cook over medium heat until thick, and no longer runny, and remove from heat.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a 8 x 8 baking dish, spread a few spoonfuls of the Red Sauce to coat the bottom of the pan.  Spread a half cup of beef mixture in the center of each flour tortilla and top with 2 tbsp of shredded cheese.  Roll up tightly, and place each burrito seam side down in the baking dish.  Once all rolled, pour the remaining Red Sauce over all the burritos and top with all the remaining cheese.

4.  Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until cheese has melted.  Alternatively, freeze before you bake it, making sure to cover with both plastic wrap and aluminum foil.  When ready to eat, thaw overnight, and bake covered for 30 minutes, and then uncovered for an additional 10 minutes.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION*

Serving Size:  1 Large Smothered Burrito

Calories:  561

Fat:  28

Carbs:  51

Protein:  41

*You can reduce the calories in this meal by decreasing the amount of cheese and/or decrease the amount of carbs by using a low carb tortilla instead of a flour one.