Beef and Bean Chimichangas

Being a "Foodie" I love complex flavors and finding the balance between salty, sweet, sour, bitter and umami in food. But you wanna know my ultimate flavor affinity?

crispy + melty cheese + cool creamy sour cream = Best. Ever.

Craving a snack? I most definitely ALWAYS make a plate of Nachos (minus the beef).

Want a wicked side dish or appy? Gots to be Potato Skins.

Going for the mom of the year award with your kids? Bake up some fabulous Shredded Chicken Flautas.

I'll take my "crispy" however you want to give it to me, as long as you pair it with melty, ooey, gooey cheese and top it with cool creamy sour cream. It pretty much goes without saying that this is the way I MUST eat my Mexican food. While I have had good enchiladas and burritos I much prefer the crunch of a crispy tortilla. So when I discovered that a chimichanga is the goodness of a burrito deep-fried so it has a crispy shell, I was ALL OVER THAT.

Except for the deep frying part. If you drizzle a bit of oil on these puppies and bake them in a hot oven, the tortilla becomes almost like a pastry with flaky crispiness.

Give these a whirl on your next taco night.

Recipe by Meal Planning 101
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Serves 4-6

3/4 lb lean ground beef
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, finely diced
1 19oz can of navy beans, rinsed and drained
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tbsp taco sauce
1/4 cup salsa
1 tbsp taco seasoning (homemade or store-bought)
1/4 cup water

10 inch flour tortillas
Canola oil
Shredded cheddar optional
Taco Sauce
Sour Cream

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a frying pan over medium high heat, brown the ground beef, garlic and onions about 6-8 minutes until the beef is cooked through and the onions are tender. Add the navy beans, salt, pepper, taco sauce, salsa, cumin, chili powder, oregano and water. Stir to combine. Turn heat down to medium low and let simmer a few minutes until thickened. Remove from heat.

In the middle of a flour tortilla, spoon about 1/2 cup of the beef and bean mixture in a line down the middle, leaving about 2 inches from either side. Add grated cheese if you want. Fold in the sides of the tortilla and tightly roll the bottom of the tortilla over the mixture until you have a burrito. Place seam side down on a greased cookie sheet. Continue until all the beef and beans have been rolled up (this will probably make about 6).

Drizzle the top of the burritos with a bit of canola oil and rub it all over so they are thinly coated. Place in the oven for about 12-15 minutes, flip and bake another 10-12 minutes until lightly browned and crispy. Serve with more taco sauce drizzled over the top and sour cream for dipping.

Click here for printable version of Beef and Bean Chimichangas
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THE RESULTS?
You know those taco kits where you get both flour tortillas and crispy corn tortillas? That's usually what our family has to get if we want a taco night since I NEED crispiness and my husband hates the mess of the crisp taco shells. Well NO MORE! This leaves us both satisfied and reaching for more. The filling is totally versatile and you could substitute with leftover shredded chicken, pork, beef or even rice. I made a version of these with Taco Rice with Corn and Black Beans, Refried Beans and a bit of ground beef and shredded cheddar and they were excellent. I'm loving these; they have the same addictiveness as my Shredded Chicken Flautas.

Meal Ideas: