It’s easy, filling, and contains everything you need to make a great Burrito. It can be augmented until the cows come home, with whatever else you love in a Tex-Mex ground beef rollup. And it all comes together in a single casserole dish…
One of the many reasons I love this dish is it’s ‘format’. In the foodservice industry, managers (and line cooks) love the idea of a make-ahead. Rather than having to assemble all the various parts of a burrito or taco à la minute (when the order comes in), they can simply portion this make-ahead onto a tortilla, garnish appropriately, and roll…
Ploughsharing beckons
The advantages of a make-ahead burrito filling also extend to other dishes – such as bowls, enchi-ladas, and other popular Tex-Mex ‘form factors’. Ideally, a resto’s make-ahead Tex-Mex ‘base’ would be less ‘complete’ than the dish today’s recipe builds into. Which would lend itself to wider custom-ization for different dishes. Even a simple taco based on this bake would still need lettuce, tomatoes and extra cheese on top…
What you need
The dish is more authentic than you might first expect, calling for fresh chorizo sausage meat rather than ground beef. Of course, you can use whatever ground met you like. I prefer ground pork or turk-ey in this dish, for various reasons. But drier, less fatty meats may bot come together texture-wise in the ooey-gooey-good, creamy, spoonable delight you want to end up with.
Hint: If you use all the spicy ingredients called for, it could be too much for some folks. Because you will be called on to add taco seasoning and red salsa on top of the spicy sausage.
Among the other main components in this dish: garlic, white rice, pinto beans, onions, beef or veggie stock, shredded Cheddar and queso sauce/dip.
What you do
Do I have to remind you to consult the recipe for all the pertinent details? I thought not.
Nevertheless, this casserole is dirt simple, as far as assembly goes. And it’s big. Recipe contributor Brooke Caison specifies a Lasagne-sized, 9 in x 13 in / 22.5 cm x 32.5 cm Pyrex dish. But don’t worry about leftovers. They can be refrigerated for 3 or 4 days, as you ploughshare them into other great Tex-Mex dishes!
The procedure starts with browning the ground meat. But don’t overcook it. Remember, it will get an-other 45 minutes or so in the oven! Once the meat is no longer pink, add the rest of the ingredients in the order Brooke specifies. That way, they’ll all come out together, properly cooked, in the end.
You might wonder why Brooke calls for both queso sauce and grated cheese to finish the dish. The queso will ooze down into the meat base to add moisture and creaminess, and help the mixture stick together. Hint: Any cheese sauce or dip will do just fine. And don’t skimp on the amount…
Scoop and go!
When you’re ready to serve the dish, just scoop with a big spoon and go! As we said earlier, you can use this pre-made ‘base’ in any number of Tex-Mex dishes. I can tell you from personal experience that it makes fantastic, rich, meaty nachos. And if you like nacho fries, bake up a sheet pan of frozen potato wedges and just top with this cheezy burrito rice! In a moment of lazy weakness, I’ve even just plopped a couple of spoonfuls into a hot dog bun and called it a ‘Chili Dog-less’.
My take
Don’t underestimate the fun you can have with this great make-ahead, all-purpose Tex-Mex ‘filling’. And do let your imagination be your guide to ploughsharing it into whatever creation you might dream up!
~ Maggie J.