Bean and Cheese Burritos

Certain members of my family think that my love of bean and cheese burritos from Taco Bell is a little strange, but I say that it’s perfectly normal. It’s not to the point where the employees know me and greet me like Norm from Cheers, but that’s most likely because I usually grab my order from the drive thru window. The alternative to my quick burrito lunch on the run could be greasy fries and a burger so I’m feeling okay about the occasional bean burrito or two.

Since moving far away from the nearest Taco Bell, I’ve started recreating my favs at home. This burrito recipe moves the enchilada sauce from the inside to the outside of the burrito so they’re definitely less portable but still just as tasty for an easy vegetarian weeknight meal.

Ingredients:

• 1 large can of refried beans (feeds 4)
• 1 pack of burrito size flour tortillas
• 2 cups of shredded cheese
• 1/2 onion diced
• Sauce Ingredients below:
• 1 can of tomato sauce 8 ounces
• 1/3 cup of water
• 1/2 tsp. of chili powder
• 1 and 1/2 tsp. of cumin
• 1/2 tsp. of onion powder
• 1/2 tsp. of paprika
• 1/2 tsp. of garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. of salt
• 1/4 tsp. of cayenne pepper
• 1 Tbsp. of white vinegar

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place all of the ingredients for the burrito sauce in a pan and stir it well. Simmer the sauce for 10-12 minutes. While the sauce simmers dice an onion and shred cheddar cheese or use a bag of grated cheese. When the sauce is finished, turn it off.

Warm a large can of refried beans in a pot on the stove (stir often to avoid scorching the beans to the bottom of the pan) or cook them in a microwave safe bowl (cover the bowl to avoid having the beans explode in your microwave while cooking). If necessary thin the beans with a couple of tablespoons of water. Heat 4-6 large flour tortillas in the microwave for 20-30 seconds. Spread a layer of beans, some shredded cheese, and diced onions in the tortillas and roll up by folding in the sides and then rolling the middle into a burrito. Repeat until all of the beans are used. Spray a baking dish and place a thin layer of the red sauce in the bottom of the pan. Place the burritos in the pan and top with more sauce, shredded cheese, and diced onions. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes then remove foil and bake for about 5 more minutes uncovered.

Serve as is or with salsa, sour cream, diced green onions, black olives, shredded lettuce, and diced tomatoes. These burritos are great stuffed with taco seasoned ground beef or shredded chicken

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