Baked Steak Burritos

I’m back! Thank you for bearing with me. It has been a week of medical procedures, bed rest, and takeout. I’ll explain one of these days. Really.

I was relentlessly spoiled by the hubby this week. Hungry for steak? He came home with gigantic New York strips (and peanut butter cup blizzards). Had an urge for pulled pork? He came home with Famous Dave’s. Even yesterday, when I was actually up and at ‘em, he fed my Old Chicago Double Deckeroni craving. He’s good peeps, the hubby.

And now my pants hurt me.

In other news, I missed my kitchen, and I think it missed me. I also missed my knives. They were away from home for professional sharpening, and I’m just not myself without my Wusthof, ya know?

Today, I’m on my feet, my knives are back home where they belong, and I am hungry for Mexican food. Baked steak burritos are an old standby; I think the original recipe appeared in a Pillsbury cookbook years ago. I’ve made countless changes to the recipe to make it bit healthier (relatively speaking) and to suit our own tastes.

The hubby adores these little buggers. He went through a phase where he requested these every few weeks and kept encouraging me to make more, more, more! Surely I could fit more than eight in a pan! (He was right.) You can throw in anything else that you like in your burritos, such as rice or other veggies. And you can certainly substitute another meat for the steak. (But then you have to change the name of the recipe.)

I like to get all my ingredients ready, and then line up my tortillas in an assembly line. And then nab whomever I can find to help. It’s a pretty quick meal that even works on a weeknight, if you’ve got some chips and salsa to snack on until the burritos are done.

Baked Steak Burritos
Makes 10 burritos (1-2 per person)

3 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1 packet taco seasoning (I prefer spicy)
1½ lb. steak, cut in small pieces
1 16-oz. can refried beans (I use fat-free)
10 soft taco-sized flour tortillas
3 c. shredded cheese, divided in half (I usually use cheddar and/or Colby-Jack)
3 green onions, finely chopped
1 can enchilada sauce (I’ve only got a 10-oz. can on me, although I prefer larger; use either mild or hot, depending on your preference)
Assorted toppings, such as lettuce, tomato, onion, olives, sour cream, etc.

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Stir in taco seasoning. Add beef. Cook about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is cooked and tender.

You can periodically add a bit of water if the mixture gets too dry. I typically add about 1/3 cup water or so to make things saucier. I’m a saucy gal.

It kind of reminds me of Gravy Train at this point. But try not to think about that.

3. Heat refried beans in microwave or in saucepan.

4. Heat each tortilla in the microwave for 10 seconds. Lay tortillas on flat surface. Spread each tortilla with refried beans. Divide beef, green onions, and 1 1/2 c. cheese amongst tortillas.

5. Fold burritos. First fold in the sides.

Then fold over the front.

And fold over the back.

6. Place burritos, seam-side down, in baking dish. (I can fit two rows of five if I snuggle 'em in nicely.) Top with enchilada sauce and remaining cheese.

7. Bake about 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and burritos are heated through.

8. Serve with desired toppings.