Fall season calls for filling, warm meals and the creamy burrito casserole, with its spicy peppers, cheese and ground beef, will keep you full and warm you up. With the multiple layers of meat, cheese, tortilla shells and peppers, it is like eating a Mexican lasagna! Creamy burrito casserole is a flavorful and easy recipe to assemble.
The recipe calls for 1 chopped onion, and that means tears. To limit the tears, cut the onion in half lengthwise with a sharp knife and face the cut sides down on the cutting board. This keeps the exposure of the fumes at a minimum.
Don’t cut off the sprouting end (the hairy end) because that is where most of the chemical comes from and it helps hold the onion together as you are slicing into it. Another tip to avoid those tears? Breathe through your mouth and use a fan to blow the fumes in the other direction.
Ground beef makes everything taste better, but if you want a healthier substitute, ground turkey is great for this recipe. It has less fat and doesn’t disrupt the multiple flavors.
Mexican seasoning usually consists of garlic, onion and chipotle powder, cilantro, oregano and other spices. It is available in most grocery stores, but if you cannot locate it or make it yourself, substitute it with taco or burrito seasoning. It will still have plenty of flavor.
If you want a milder flavor, our recipe offers substitutes like green and red bell peppers for jalapenos and red chilis. Another good substitute for jalapenos is a can or two of green chilies; they are like jalapenos in flavor, but milder.
This casserole pairs well with most classic Mexican side dishes: tortilla chips and guacamole, corn salsa, grilled corn if you want a healthy alternative, or use up the leftover black beans and make black beans and yellow rice.
How do you like your Mexican food, spicy or mild? Did you choose bell peppers or did you get spicy with it?
Creamy Burrito Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 cup onion - chopped
- 2 tbsp. Mexican seasoning
- 1 cup black beans - drained and rinsed
- Salt and pepper - to taste
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 cup sour cream
- 6 flour tortillas - 6”
- 3 ½ cups cheddar cheese - shredded
- ½ cup jalapeno peppers - seeded and chopped (replace with green bell pepper for less heat)
- ½ cup red chili peppers - seeded and chopped (replace with red bell pepper for less heat)
- Fresh cilantro - to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a large skillet, sauté the ground beef and onion over medium-high heat, until the beef is fully cooked (7 to 10 minutes). Drain the excess liquid.
- Add the Mexican seasoning and beans and heat through. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix the tomato sauce with the sour cream. Spread half of the sauce mixture onto the bottom of a 9” x 13” baking dish.
- Add a layer of 3 flour tortillas on top, making smaller pieces and overlapping them until fully covered.
- Top with a layer of shredded cheese (about 1 cup).
- Add a layer of the ground beef mixture (about ½ of it).
- Repeat all layers 1 more time (sauce mixture, 3 remaining tortillas, 1 cup cheese and the remaining ground beef). Finally, top with the remaining cheese and peppers.
- Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Let stand for a few minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh cilantro.
Equipment
Nutrition
Nutrition information on In the Kitch is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may not include toppings and/or sauces.
Looking to enhance your cooking skills? Check out How to Make Blackened Chicken