Chimi on over here!

Cooking doesn't always have to be difficult or tedious. It can be fun sometimes! Well, when you are dealing with hot oil, I'd suggest that you take things a little calmer than you would when cooking rice. Don't get too excited when turning over a burrito who is in the process of blossoming into a chimichanga. After all, a chimichanga is just a fried burrito. And you can take that to the bank.

As promised, here is the recipe for some deliciously awesome chimi's :)

Ingredients

1 pound Ground Beef

1 Onion, chopped

1 can corn, drained

2 cups Taco Sauce (store bought is fine, but below is a recipe for some homemade taco sauce that is delish!)

2 teaspoons Chili Powder

1 teaspoon Garlic Salt

1 teaspoon Ground Cumin

1 (16 ounce) can Refried Beans

Flour Tortillas (12 inch)

Cheese, grated

Taco Sauce

(Double this recipe for the chimichangas)

8 ounce tomato sauce

1/4 cup water

1/4 teaspoon chili powder (more if you want this hotter)

1 teaspoon cumin

1 tablespoon of onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (optional)

Mix all ingredients and pour sauce into pan and cook over med-low heat for 15-20 minutes. Don’t skip the cooking part of this. You need to heat the sauce up to really blend the flavors together.

Directions

Start heating up about 2 inches of oil in a pan.

In another pan, brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat. Drain the excess grease, and add the onion, and corn. Cook for about 5 more minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Stir in the taco sauce, and season with chili powder, garlic salt and cumin, stirring until blended. Cook until heated through, then remove from heat, and set aside.

Heat a tortilla in the microwave for about 10-15 seconds so that it will be pliable for folding. Open the can of beans, and spread a layer of beans onto the center of the tortilla. Spoon the beef mixture down the center, and then top with as much shredded cheese as you like. Roll up the tortilla, and place them seam-side down into your hot oil once it reaches 350 degrees. Once it turns golden brown, flip it to the other side. When all sides become golden brown, take it out of the oil and top with your favorite toppings. Suggestions are sour cream, guacamole, lettuce, tomatoes, onion, cheese, etc.

This was a HUGE hit in our house. John even turned to me and said, "I wouldn't mind this being a staple dinner." It might look a little scary, but it isn't at all. But like I said before, be careful with the oil. I didn't turn my burrito over as gently as I had intended and almost splashed hot oil all over my hand. Dodged that one!

Give it a try and let me know what you think!