I love this recipe for several reasons.* It's a quick and easy meal (especially if I have cooked meat or beans in the freezer); everyone in the family likes it; and it freezes up beautifully, making for a quickly-warmed up meal whenever I don't have time or energy to cook. It's also really adaptable.
What You Need:
1 1/2 cups cooked ground beef, cooked and shredded or chopped chicken, or cooked beans (such as lentils, pintos, or black beans)
1/2 an onion or 2 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup salsa
1 cup shredded Cheddar (or Cheddar and Mozzarella) cheese
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder or 2 fresh garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
6 to 7 flour tortillas
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Large skillet
Baking sheet
Pastry brush
How to Do It:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Pour about a tablespoon of oil in a large skillet placed over medium high heat. Add the onion onion and saute until tender. (If the meat or beans aren't warm, add them to the skillet and gentle saute until warm.)
3. In a medium bowl, combine the salsa, cumin, cheese, cumin, garlic, salt, pepper, and oregano. Add the onion mixture and stir well.
4. Place one tortilla on the baking sheet. Spoon some of the salsa mixture into the center of the tortilla. Fold the short ends toward the middle, then the long ends. Turn over, so the seams are on touching the baking sheet. Repeat this step until all the filling is used up.
5. Using a pastry brush, light brush the melted butter over the tops of the chimichangas. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the tortillas are golden.
Variations: If you want more veggies in this dish, add some corn, shredded lettuce, or baby spinach leaves. Or serve with fresh shredded lettuce and tomatoes on the side. If desired, serve sour cream, additional salsa, and additional chopped green onions on the side.
To Freeze & Reheat: Place individual chimichangas in freezer bags, or wrap each chimichanga in wax paper and place them all in one bag. To reheat, remove from the packaging, wrap in a single paper towel, and microwave for about 3 minutes on high.
*This recipe is slightly adapted from Family Feasts for $75 a Week by Mary Ostyn.
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