Brown Bag Burritos

Our family loves this recipe because it is very versitile.  You can eat them room temperature (thus the Brown Bag title), heated up, or even cold (they actually are really good cold!).  You can eat them for lunch or spruced up with sour cream, avocado and salsa for dinner with some rice.  Just thaw them out over night (or in the microwave) and heat them up... either in the oven or the microwave. I am posting the actual recipe, and then putting what I did (I kind of doubled the recipe to make more) in red.

2 lb. ground beef (I used 4.5lbs of 93%lean turkey)

2 cans refried beans (5 cans of fat free refried beans)

1 1/3 c. enchilada sauce (3 cans)

1/2 c. water (1 cup water)

1/3 c. minced onion (2/3 c dried minced onion)

1 Tbsp. chili powder (2 Tbsp)

1 Tbsp. garlic powder (2 Tbsp)

1 tsp. salt (2 tsp)

1 tsp. dried oregano (2 tsp)

3 c. shredded cheese (5 cups cheddar cheese)

20 flour tortillas (60 tortillas)

Brown ground beef; drain. Add remaining ingredients (except tortillas). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes. 

Heat 3-4 tortillas at a time (will make them easier to roll). Spoon 1/4 c. beef mixture down the side of each tortilla.

Roll up. Wrap each burrito in a paper towel, then wrap in foil. (I only wrapped in foil as I find the paper towels unnecessary)

When ready to eat, remove foil and microwave for about a minute. The paper towel keeps the burritos moist. If you don’t use a microwave, skip the paper towel and just wrap in foil. Then heat burritos in the oven with foil. For a sit down meal they are nice topped with lettuce, cheese, salsa, and sour cream. If you’re eating on the run, though, just grab and go!

Easiest Crockpot Roast Ever....

Roast (I did about 2 lbs. per family), Carrots, Potatoes, Onions, Celery, Ranch Dressing Mix, Italian Dressing Mix, Onion Soup Mix (I generally do one packet of each for about a 4 lb roast so I halved them here), and about a cup of water.  Cooked in crockpot on low for 10-12 hours or longer.

Leftovers (if any) are awesome on hoagie rolls with provolone cheese!

All Purpose Shredded Chicken

Here is the chicken I used for the Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas. It is incredibly easy and its uses are unlimited--quesadillas, tacos, enchiladas, nachos, taco salad.

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenderloins
Chicken broth
Taco seasoning

Place chicken in a crockpot, add chicken broth until chicken is covered, add taco seasoning to taste, cook approximately 8-10 hours on low, 4-6 hours on high (cooking times depends on whether you are cooking frozen or thawed chicken--you will be able to tell when it is done), remove chicken from broth, shred.

The leftover broth can be used for tortilla soup. And if you need shredded chicken for a non-Mexican food purpose, leave out the taco seasoning.

Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas

Here's hoping the following recipe doesn't get me banned from the freezer cooking co-op!

Sauce
1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

12 6 inch corn tortillas

12 ounces cooked skinless chicken breast, chopped (I used 2lbs)
4 ounces fat-free or low-fat cream cheese
1/2 cup salsa
Vegetable oil spray
1/4 cup nonfat or light sour cream
2 teaspoons lime juice
1/4 teaspoon chili powder (optional)

In a small saucepan, whisk together sauce ingredients. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until mixture is thick and bubbly; set aside.

Put tortillas in a tortilla warmer or wrap them in damp paper towels and microwave on high for 30 to 60 seconds.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a medium nonstick skillet, combine chicken, cream cheese, and salsa. Cook over medium-low heat for 5 to 6 minutes, or until mixture is warmed through and cream cheese has melted, stirring occasionally

Lightly spray a 13x9x2 inch baking dish with vegetable oil spray.

To assemble, pour 1/2 cup sauce into baking dish; spread to cover bottom of dish. Put a tortilla on a plate or cutting board. Spoon about 1/4 cup chicken mixture onto middle of tortilla. Roll tortilla jelly-roll style and place seam side down in baking dish. Repeat. Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas. In a small bowl, whisk together sour cream and life juice.

Instead of rolling my enchiladas, I stacked them because it is easier. I placed the sauce in between each layer of tortillas, but I think it made the tortillas a little mushy. You will have to give me your feedback.

I also immediately topped the enchiladas with the sour cream sauce, but upon further reflections, I should have placed it in a ziploc for use after cooking. This recipe is a work in progress, but on the bright side, it isn't that bad for you considering it is sour cream chicken enchiladas.

Here is the nutrition information per serving:

Calories: 296
Protein: 26g
Carbohydrates: 38g
Cholesterol: 55mg
Total fat: 4g (Saturated 1g; Polyunsaturated 1g; Monounsaturated 1g)
Fiber: 4g
Sodium: 350mg

I really like this recipe and would like to perfect it for freezer cooking, so please be honest in your feedback.