Creamy Burrito Casserole

❤️Why I Love This Recipe

I love any and all burritos, including homemade kimchi burritos, refried bean burritos, fast food burritos, but especially this Tex-Mex burrito casserole.

• It is flavorful, fun and easy to assemble!
• It's large enough to feed guests if you're having a super bowl party, dinner party or birthday, especially if you assemble two at once.
• But it's actually perfect for any day of the week.
• It's a great make ahead meal because you can freeze it and reheat it later.
• You can make it spicy or mild, depending on who you are serving it to.

🥘Ingredients

• medium flour tortillas - I find anywhere between 7" and 8" tortillas work great for this recipe but if you have a larger size on hand, just use a little less.
• ground beef - Ground beef makes everything taste better, but if you want a leaner substitute, ground turkey is great for this recipe. It has less fat and doesn’t disrupt the multiple flavors.
• black beans - I buy them canned for convenience but make sure to drain and rinse them well.
• cheddar cheese - You'll get best results if you shred it yourself, but if you want to buy pre-shredded, that is okay too.
• onions- Yellow onions are ideal but you can use white.
• jalapeño peppers - You can substitute with green bell pepper for less heat. Another good substitute for jalapeños is a can or two of green chilies; they are like jalapenos in flavor, but milder.
• red chili peppers - You can also substitute these with red bell pepper for less heat.
• Mexican spice mix - Mexican seasoning usually consists of garlic, onion and chipotle powders, dried 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.

*Check recipe card for ingredient amounts.

🔪How to Make this Burrito Casserole

Step #1. Cook the ground beef and onions. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef and onion, crumbling the beef as it cooks (5 to 7 minutes). Drain any excess liquid (Image 1).

Step #2. Add the beans and seasoning. Add the Mexican seasoning and beans and heat through. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside (Image 2).

Step #3. Make the creamy sauce. In a medium bowl, mix the tomato sauce with the sour cream (Image 3).

Step #4. Spread it out. Spread half of the sauce mixture onto the bottom of a 9” x 13” baking dish (Image 4).

Step #5. Layer tortillas. Add a layer of 3 flour tortillas on top, making smaller pieces and overlapping them until fully covered (Image 5).

Step #6. Add cheese. Top with a layer of shredded cheese (about 1 cup) (Image 6).

Step #7. Add beef. Add a layer of the ground beef mixture (about ½ of it) (Image 7).

Step #8. Repeat the layers. Repeat all layers 1 more time (sauce mixture, 3 remaining tortillas, 1 cup cheese and the remaining ground beef) (Image 8).

Step #9. Final layer. Finally, top with the remaining cheese and peppers (Image 9).

Step #10. Bake. Bake for about 25 to 35 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly (Image 10).

Step #11. Serve. Let stand for a few minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve.

🧅Onion Chopping Tips

• This burrito casserole recipe calls for 1 chopped onion, and that means tears. To limit the tears, cut the onion in half lengthwise with a sharp knife on a cutting board (Image 1).
• 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.
• Face the cut sides down on the cutting board. This keeps the exposure of the fumes at a minimum. Make vertical cuts across the onion, leaving the end in tact (Image 2).
• Slice halfway into the onion horizontally until you get to the root end (Image 3).
• Begin chopping the onion (Image 4).
• Now you have some beautifully chopped onions to use in this recipe.
• Another tip to avoid those tears? Breathe through your mouth and use a fan to blow the fumes in the other direction.

🥗Serving Suggestions

• This creamy burrito casserole pairs well with most classic Mexican side dishes: tortilla chips and guacamole, mole sauce (check out my easy recipe tutorial for how to make mole sauce), corn salsa, grilled corn if you want a tasty alternative
• You can spice it up even more with my jalapeño tomatillo hot sauce.
• Serve it with a side of seasoned rice or refried beans.

🌡️Storage Tips

• Fridge: Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days.
• Freezer: You can also freeze it for up to 2 to 3 months, but let it cool first. After that time, the casserole will start to dry out and/or lose quality so it's best to eat it within that time frame.
• Reheating: Reheat in a 350°F oven, covered in foil, until heated through.

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