Delicious Reading: Baked Burrito Casserole and Written Reality

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.