Beef and Bean Enchirito

You know how we have labels for some of the days like Taco Tuesday, Hump Day for Wednesday, and Throwback Thursday; well I want to promote Mexican Monday. I think this attribution works wonders as now you can enjoy any of your south of the border favorites like burritos, enchiladas, tostadas, tacos, chimichangas, tequila, cerveza, etc… you get my point. To support this endeavor to recognize Mexican Mondays, I bring you a homemade Enchirito™ – that deliciously confused dish brought to you by Taco Bell. Now as regular readers should be used to, of course I tweaked this fast food for personal dining. I added spices, garlic, chunky onion, red and green bell pepper, and pinto beans to the ground beef filling. I topped it with enchilada sauce, Mexican cheese blend and cotija, garnishing with sliced manzanilla olives and slivered jalapeno. I dare you to tell me that all those goodies put together don’t sound delicious? So support Mexican Mondays and enjoy a Mexican meal – heck, you may as well start with this one next Monday! ¡Arriba, arriba! ¡Ándale, ándale!

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Cuisine: Mexican

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 50 mins

Serves: 2

Ingredients

8 oz ground beef, 7% fat
6 6 inch flour tortillas
5 oz pinto beans, canned
2½ oz yellow onion, large dice
2½ oz red bell pepper, large dice
2½ oz green bell pepper, large dice
1 tbsp minced garlic
juice from ½ lime, approximately 1½ tbsp
2½ oz enchilada sauce, approximately ½ a small 5 oz can)
1 tsp chili powder
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp Mexican oregano
½ tsp dried cilantro
⅛ tsp salt and more to taste
⅛ tsp black pepper and more to taste
1 tbsp canola oil
2 oz Mexican blend cheese, shredded
½ oz cotija cheese (optional, but highly suggested)
¼ medium jalapeno, seeded and slivered (optional but highly suggested)
Sliced manzanilla olives (optional)

Instructions

In a small baking dish, spray lightly with cooking spray.
Preheat the oven to a Low broil with the highest shelf at the mid-point.
In a medium saute pan, heat the canola oil over Medium/Medium-High heat.
When the oil starts to shimmer, add the ground beef.
Break up the ground beef as it cooks to create a consistent crumble.
Add the salt and pepper.
When all the pink is gone, add the onion and bell peppers.
Cook the peppers and onion in the crumbled ground beef until fragrant, approximately 3 minutes.
Add the garlic and spices, cooking until fragrant approximately 1 minute.
Add the lime juice and stir to distribute.
Add the pinto beans and fold gently to keep from smashing or breaking the beans.
Reduce heat to Medium-Low and taste, adding salt and pepper as needed.
Remember chili powder typically contains a fair amount of salt which is why we lightly salted it initially.
Wrap the tortillas in paper towels and warm in the microwave for 20 seconds.
Remove warmed tortillas and begin to assemble the burritos using this process:
Spread a small amount of cheese on the tortilla.
Spoon ¼ cup (or so) of the meat mixture onto the cheese.
Shape the meat and cheese horizontally across the tortilla, leaving no more than an inch from the edge.
Fold the side edges over the meat, then fold the bottom edge over top, before closing by pulling the top over the bottom.
Place rolled burritos into the baking dish.
Load all six burritos into the baking dish before spooning enchilada sauce over top.
Spread Mexican blend cheese over the sauce.
Spread cotija cheese over top and place the baking dish onto a baking sheet covered with foil.
Place the enchiritos into the oven under the broiler and cook until the cheese is melted, approximately 5 minutes.
Turn the broiler to High and brown the top of the cheese, approximately 2 minutes.
DO NOT LEAVE THE BROILER UNATTENDED!
Remove the enchiritos when browned as desired.
Use 2 spatulas to lift the enchiritos onto the plate.
Garnish with slivered jalapenos and olives, if desired.

In a small baking dish, spray lightly with cooking spray. Preheat the oven to a Low broil with the highest shelf at the mid-point. In a medium saute pan, heat the canola oil over Medium/Medium-High heat. When the oil starts to shimmer, add the ground beef.

Break up the ground beef as it cooks to create a consistent crumble. Add the salt and pepper.

When all the pink is gone, add the onion and bell peppers.

Cook the peppers and onion in the crumbled ground beef until fragrant, approximately 3 minutes.

Add the garlic and spices, cooking until fragrant approximately 1 minute. Add the lime juice and stir to distribute.

Add the pinto beans and fold gently to keep from smashing or breaking the beans.

Reduce heat to Medium-Low and taste, adding salt and pepper as needed. Remember chili powder typically contains a fair amount of salt which is why we lightly salted it initially. Wrap the tortillas in paper towels and warm in the microwave for 20 seconds.

Remove warmed tortillas and begin to assemble the burritos using this process:

Spread a small amount of cheese on the tortilla.
Spoon 1/4 cup (or so) of the meat mixture onto the cheese.
Shape the meat and cheese horizontally across the tortilla, leaving approximately 3/4 to 1 inch from the edge.
Fold the side edges over the meat, then fold the bottom edge over top, before closing by pulling the top over the bottom.

Place rolled burritos into the baking dish.

Load all six burritos into the baking dish before spooning enchilada sauce over top.

Spread Mexican blend cheese over the sauce. Spread cotija cheese over top and place the baking dish onto a baking sheet covered with foil.

Place the enchiritos into the oven under the broiler and cook until the cheese is melted, approximately 5 minutes. Turn the broiler to High and brown the top of the cheese, approximately 2 minutes. DO NOT LEAVE THE BROILER UNATTENDED! Remove the enchiritos when browned as desired.

Use 2 spatulas to lift the enchiritos onto the plate. Garnish with slivered jalapenos and olives, if desired. I served mine with sour cream, chunky guacamole, and Mexican rice.