Beef Burritos Freezer Meal

I have been trying to do more freezer meals to help me in the evenings since we've become so busy this school year. I found a great recipe on Pinterest for Beef Burritos. I've changed the recipe a bit. It's really good. I want to warn you... this is spicy, but very flavorful. I found it delicious.

I bought my meat at Costco, because it comes in bulk and is usually cheaper unless you hit a sale some where else.

Ingredients:

1 Beef roast (aprox 2-3 pounds)
1 diced onion or 1/2 cup minced dry onions
3 Tbsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp ground pepper
2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
2 cans (8oz) tomato sauce (I used spaghetti sauce)
1 Chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (comes in a can, ONLY use 1 pepper per roast)
2 tsp chili powder

Stick in a gallon size labeled freezer bag, seal. Freeze up to 3 months.
When ready to use. Run outside of freezer bag under warm water to loosen contents from bag. Empty contents in crockpot for 8 hours on low. Enjoy in taco shells, tortillas, make into enchiladas or divide and make into separate meals.

This makes a LOT of beef. I made this and it will provide 2-3 meals.

Chicken Enchirito lasagna

I usually plan out my menu at the beginning of the week, typically sunday, but sometimes monday. Unfortunately for me I didn't plan my weekly menu. One thing I regret on days like today. I get a brain (excuse my language) fart. I usually have a very difficult time thinking what to make for dinner, when I've been so busy all day with my school stuff, the kids school stuff, housework, and running errands and the list goes on and on... I'm hopeful some of you can relate :) Well, Today I stood in my kitchen and had this blank stare on my face when the kids asked me what was for dinner. I couldn't think of anything, then I open the fridge and start saying things that are easy like spaghetti, meatloaf, spaghetti with meatballs, and one of my son says GRILLED CHEESE... I think to myself... that would use all the bread I've allotted for the boys lunches till payday. So NO... He then says "but we haven't had that in a LLLOOONNNGG time..." (picture puppy dog eyes and a big fat lower lip) of course I still said NO but I knew that he still wouldn't be too happy, so I turned and walked to the pantry. Trying to avoid the conversation as to why not. So I start thinking of what I have in the fridge and what I have in the pantry, and then what I have in Food Storage. What can I make...? I think and think and think. Then I decide on Enchirito's Well, I didn't want to use country sausage or turkey sausage, and then I remembered I had bbq pork, (which might be good) or chicken from the baked chicken from Thursday last week. or was it friday... anyways, it's still good. So I decide on chicken. So we are going to have chicken enchirito's... Then I remember my sister makes this layered enchilada stuff instead of rolling the tortillas. So I had an "AH HA!" moment... I will make a layered enchiritio with refried beans, a chicken mixture with cheese and enchilada sauce. Now doesn't that sound yummy.... All the while I'm trying to see what I can add to the dish to increase the vegetable intake without having to make a side dish. (too many dishes already dirty) I need a one dish meal. So I scrounge up some onions, a can of rotel tomatoes with green chili's, and mushrooms. I thought about some fresh spinach or celery, but then thought, it's a mexican type dish, these don't really go. So I ditched those two items. YEAH me... I think these would be good.  Well, I at least hope they will be good, if not it's still dinner.

So bare with me as I threw stuff in a bowl, and I didn't measure. these are estimates, you can use less if it looks like too much of one thing, and more of something if it looks too little.  Sorry, That is how I cook sometimes, by sight, taste and smell.

Ingredients:
aprox. 3-4 cups cubed already cooked chicken
1 can rotel tomatoes with green chili's
1 can enchilada sauce
1 can refried beans with chili's and lime
1/4 of a red onion, diced (or minced) personal preference
4 button mushrooms no stems chopped
4 bella portabello mushrooms, no stems chopped
1/4 tsp ground cumin
2 Tbsp chili powder
2 -3 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground pepper
14 flour tortilla's 6 inch (small) tortillas

Directions:
In a medium bowl, mix together the cubed chicken, tomatoes, red onion, chopped mushrooms, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper, and 1 cup of the enchilada sauce. mix well, incorporating all ingredients.

Next, in a 13 X9X2 inch pan, spray with non stick cooking spray, and pour 1/2 of the remaining enchilada sauce in the bottom of the pan.

Then, spread some of the refried beans on tortilla's and layer on the bottom of the pan, enough to cover the bottom. * NOTE: you may need to rip some of the tortilla's in half to cover the bottom, I had two full tortillas on the bottom and 4 halves. Place the refried bean side down in the enchilada sauce.

Then spoon half of the chicken mixture on top of the tortillas, and sprinkle with cheese.

Repeat one more layer, Refried bean on tortilla, refried bean side down on the cheese, then spread the chicken mixture on top of the tortilla, then cover with cheese.

Now, layering 6 flour tortillas on top of the cheese (no refried beans should be left in the can). Then top with the enchilada sauce and sprinkle with cheese.

Cover with foil, sprayed with non stick cooking spray. Bake in a 350F oven until heated through aprox 45 minutes, then remove the foil, and bake another 5-10 minutes to brown the cheese.

Let set about 5-10 minutes before serving.

Enchirito's

Tonight I am making Enchirito's. Your probably thinking to yourself, "what the heck is an enchirito?". Well, I'll tell you. Back when I lived in West Virginia I used to buy this box mix that was from Taco Bell that was enchirito's. It came with refried beans, taco seasoning, flour tortillas and sauce. All I had to do was add beef or chicken. Then you would assemble and bake in the oven. I loved them, and then they stopped selling them. :( very sad! So now I have made my own. I am adding a few other ingredients to make it mine.

Ingredients:

10 flour tortillas (you may use less)

1 lb ground beef

1 can refried beans

1 can red or green enchilada sauce

1 can green chili's (optional)

1 medium onion

1-2 veggie pucks(optional - recipe for veggie puck can be found here)

1 package taco seasoning

2-3 cups shredded cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven 350F.

Brown the ground beef, and onion. Then add the taco seasoning (like you were making taco's). Then add the veggie puck and green chili's. Set mixture aside.

On the flour tortillas spread 1-2 tbsp refried beans on the tortilla (enough to cover surface).

Then add 2-3 spoons of beef mixture. (enough to fill the middle of the tortilla,

then add a couple sprinkles of cheese.

Roll and set in a 13X9 pan. Repeat until full, may take 8-10 tortilla's depending on how full you make the tortillas.

Next, pour enchilada sauce on top. Sprinkle with cheese.

Bake 350F oven for 25-30 minutes. Till bubbly and cheese has melted.

Serve Warm. with sour cream and other toppings such as lettuce, tomato, onion, olives, even guacamole. This is a yummy dish. Adding the veggie puck adds a nice added veggie and vitamin punch to the dish, they won't be able to tell.

I was able to make enough for two families=2 pans. I could have put them all in one pan, but realized I would have way too many leftovers. So I'm going to share the love. Give one pan away.

Chicken Enchilada's

I had this pulled chicken from when I made the chicken broth and I wanted to use it up, before it went bad. I polled on Facebook what to make either chicken noodle soup or chicken enchilada and the verdict was a unanimous chicken enchilada. :) yummy.

My recipe makes two large pans, so feel free to share one of these yummy dishes with a neighbor, or freeze for future use.

Ingredients:

Filling

2 veggie pucks (see chicken broth)

1/2 cup salsa

1 tsp minced garlic

2 tsp dried minced onion

3 tsp taco seasoning

3/4 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp fresh ground sea salt

1 tsp fresh ground pepper

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1 can sweet corn

4-5 cups diced/pulled chicken

1-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

12-14 flour tortillas

Topping

2 cans cream of chicken soup

8 oz sour cream

1 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 medium minced jalapeno (no seeds, or green chili's)

Sprinkle a little mexican cheese blend on top..

Mix all of the fillings together and fill into the flour tortillas,

roll and place into 13X9 pan. (this will fill 2 - 13X9 pans.

Mix all of the topping ingredients together. Use the same bowl you mixed the filling in without rinsing to get some of the flavor.

Spread topping on top of the rolled flour tortillas, and then sprinkle with cheese.

Cover with Foil and bake in the oven 350 for 30-45 min until bubbly and heated through (all things precooked) just needing heated through. Enjoy :)

Verdict! :) Well, I love it! This has great flavor, not too much to be spicy, but just enough of a kick to let you know its a mexican dish. The sweet corn makes a nice touch and adding a little crunch to the dish instead of being all mushy. Another thing that I like is that since I didn't add any sauce to the bottom of the pan or spray it with cooking spray, it is nicely golden with a little crunch too, not a stale crunch but a nice crunch. In all, I am very pleased with this dish. I made this with things I already had in the house and it is very healthy. Lots of added veggies from the veggie pucks, and you don't even know it. :) I love that. My son has scouts tonight at 5:30, and this will be something he can eat before he goes. :) I hope you enjoy this as much as I do. I gave away my second dish to have a friend try it. :) I'll let you know what she says. But I give it two thumbs up!!

Taco Quesadilla's

Ok, I didn't get my blog post in last night, but I have a good reason. I had a long awaited Girls night out. I made dinner for the boys and Bill and then I went out and hand Sushi with some friends from my church. It was a lot of fun. Good food and good company. :) So, I took pictures of dinner last night. Here is what we did for our Tuesday, Taco night. I made Taco Quesadillas. Sounds yummy, It was yummy. I had a bit or two, to make sure they were ok for the men to eat :)

Ingredients

1.5 lb ground beef

1 packet taco seasoning

1/3 cup water

refried beans

cheese

toppings of your choice

tortillas

Directions:

I browned the ground beef and drained off the excess fat. Then I added the taco seasoning mix and water, and cooked down. following the packet directions. Then on a flour tortilla, I spread some refried beans, then sprinkled my taco meat mixture, and cheese. (my hubby and kids won't eat anything else.). On a hot griddle I sprayed some PAM, Then I put my loaded tortilla down on the hot griddle, then topped with a plain tortilla. Waited about 5 min or so, til the bottom was browned a little, and then flipped the quesadilla. Took off the heat when the opposite side was browned too. Then sliced with my pizza cutter into little triangles. This was a quick and fun change from tacos every tuesday. :)

These would be good with sour cream and guacamole. If I had either I would have had some with it.

Enjoy :)