Delicious Reading: Baked Burrito Casserole and Written Reality

Brooke Clubbs

As someone who teaches health communication, I have to admit to my students I don’t always practice healthy habits. I remind them I was once as they are now — living on cafeteria cereal or microwaved noodles, and sometimes having enough change in my car’s cupholder to justify a trip to Taco Bell. What I don’t tell them — sometimes I still crave and treat myself to one of those bean burritos. As fast food goes, they aren’t terrible, but cooking at home is inevitably a better choice. That’s why when I saw a recipe for a baked burrito casserole pop up on Pinterest, I had to investigate.

Mitzi Smith started her blog writtenreality.com when quitting her full-time job to become a stay-at-home mom didn’t turn out quite the way she planned. As she puts it, her perfect family bubble “burst” within the first week and she found her “own need for God’s purpose, encouragement and a new life plan.” Her life still cycles “within a continued laundry list and mommy routine,” but she now pursues “a much greater purpose within my quest for family fun.” On her blog, in addition to household tips and family fun ideas, she has a cache of easy, family-friendly recipes. I served this casserole with green salad, salsa and guacamole on the side. My family loved it for our traditional “Taco Tuesday,” even if the kids groaned as I told them about the trials and tribulations of dorm living while we ate.

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Baked Burrito Casserole

1 pound of ground beef (I use ground turkey)

1 small onion, chopped

1 pack of taco seasoning (I use low sodium)

1 can refried beans (I use fat-free)

1 can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted (I use low-fat)

1/2 cup sour cream (I use low-fat)

1 pack large flour tortillas

2 1/2 cups of shredded Mexican blend cheese (I use reduced-fat)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large skillet, cook the ground beef and onion until the beef is no longer pink, and drain.

Add the taco seasoning and refried beans, and heat through.

In a separate bowl, blend the mushroom soup with the sour cream, then spread half of the soup mixture in the bottom of a baking dish.

Add a layer of 3 flour tortillas to the top of the soup mixture. You will need to cut or tear the tortillas and overlap them.

Spread on a layer of the ground beef mixture and top with about a cup of cheese.

Repeat all of these layers, and top with the remaining cheese.

Bake in a 9 x 13 baking dish for about 20 minutes until cheese is nicely melted.