Bean and Cheese Burrito Casserole Slow Cooker Recipe

Saturday, October 26, 2013

Bean and Cheese Burrito Casserole Slow Cooker Recipe

If you didn't get enough of a Mexican food fix yesterday for Cinco de Mayo, here's an easy recipe that will make everyone in the house happy.

and since today's Friday, it's probably more appropriate to have your celebratory margarita today, anyway.

Right?

or another.

it's okay. I don't judge.

The Ingredients.

serves 8

1 small onion, peeled and diced

1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained

1 (4-ounce) can roasted green chiles, undrained

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

8 flour or brown rice tortillas (brown rice tortillas are GF; read packing carefully)

4 cups cooked pinto beans (three 15-ounce cans, drained)

4 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese

optional garnishes: sour cream, sliced avocado, etc.

If you're going to use dry beans instead of canned, this is how you do it.

The Directions.

Use a 4-quart slow cooker. If you only have a large one, that's okay--but reduce cooking time a few hours.

In a mixing bowl, stir together the onion, bell pepper, tomatoes, chiles, and spices.

(hey steph, can I just use Rotel instead of the tomatoes and chiles? Yup. The volume will be slightly different, but I really don't think that this will be a big deal while it's cooking.)

Put a layer of tortillas into the bottom of your cooker---you may need to tear them a bit to get good coverage. Add a scoop of the onion/tomato mixture and layer on a healthy spoonful of beans and then a layer of cheese. Repeat layers until you've run out of ingredients. Top with a healthy dose of cheese.

Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours (if using a 6-quart, do 3 to 4 hours on low, then let it click over to warm--there's nothing really to cook--you're just heating thoroughly and getting the cheese to get that yummy crust).

Top with desired fixens'.

The Verdict.

I chose to keep this vegetarian because that's how the kids like it, but you can certainly add some shredded chicken or beef to the mix. I like making casseroles like this near the end of the week, because we can use the leftovers for lunch when we're all home. We tend to grab lunch on the run during the weekend (Costco hotdogs, anyone...?) and I'm trying hard to continue my meal planning---even on my "days off."

Have a wonderful weekend! Happy Mother's Day!

need brunch ideas? here you go!

more Cinco de Mayo fun:

fajitas