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This filling baked burrito bake turns regular burrito stuff into a warm, family-friendly meal that's great for busy evenings. The combo of tasty beef, smooth beans, and gooey cheese makes a Mexican-inspired dinner that's way simpler to dish up than wrapping burritos one by one.
I came up with this dish when I had to feed a bunch of relatives and didn't have time to roll tons of burritos. The layered version was such a success that now my family asks for it at every get-together we have.
What You Need
- Ground beef: Gives you that satisfying meaty base with plenty of protein
- Small onion: Brings a nice background flavor and gentle sweetness when cooked
- Taco seasoning packet: Packs all those Mexican tastes without grabbing lots of different spices
- Refried beans: Add smoothness and help everything stick together nicely
- Cream of mushroom soup: Makes everything deliciously moist with a silky texture
- Sour cream: Brings that zingy taste that cuts through the heavier flavors
- Large flour tortillas: Work way better than corn ones for making proper layers
- Mexican blend cheese: Gets you the ideal melt and flavor from several cheeses at once
How To Make It
- Cook the meat mix:
- Put your ground beef and diced onion in a big pan over medium heat and cook for around 8 minutes, breaking the beef into tiny bits while it browns. When there's no pink left, get rid of the extra fat by tipping the pan or using a strainer. Put it back on the heat and mix in the whole taco seasoning packet and refried beans. Stir everything together until it's hot and well mixed, about 3 more minutes.
- Mix up the sauce:
- In another bowl, stir together the mushroom soup and sour cream. Mix until it's totally smooth with no streaks. This creamy stuff keeps everything moist and brings all the flavors together as it bakes.
- Build your layers:
- Spread half of your creamy soup mixture across the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan. This stops stuff from sticking and adds flavor. Put flour tortillas on top, letting them overlap a bit and tearing them as needed to cover the whole layer. Spoon half of your beef and bean mixture on the tortillas and spread it out evenly. Sprinkle about 1 cup of the shredded cheese over the meat.
- Finish and bake:
- Do those layers again with the rest of the tortillas and meat mix, then top with all your remaining cheese. Put it in your 350°F oven without covering it and bake for 20 minutes until the cheese melts completely, bubbles at the edges, and gets some light golden spots.
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That can of mushroom soup really makes this dish special. It might sound weird in a Mexican-style meal, but it adds amazing creaminess that holds everything nicely and keeps it from getting dry. My grandma actually stumbled on this trick when she ran out of enchilada sauce one day, and we've done it this way in our family ever since.
What To Serve With It
This burrito bake goes great with simple sides that balance its rich taste. Try a fresh green salad with lime dressing for a crisp contrast. Put out extra toppings like chopped avocado, fresh cilantro, jalapeño slices, and more sour cream so folks can fix their plate how they want. For a full Mexican meal, add some Spanish rice or corn with butter and a squeeze of lime.
Switch It Up
You can change this recipe lots of ways. Try ground turkey or chicken instead of beef, or go meatless with more beans and some cooked bell peppers. You can throw in black beans with or instead of the refried ones for extra texture. Want it hotter? Add a small can of green chilies or jalapeños to your meat mixture. And if you don't have mushroom soup, cream of chicken works fine too.
Keeping Leftovers
Pop any extras in the fridge (covered) for up to 3 days. The taste actually gets better overnight, so it might taste even nicer the next day. Warm up single servings in the microwave for 2-3 minutes until hot all the way through. For bigger amounts, cover with foil and heat in a 325°F oven for about 20 minutes. If you want to freeze it, let it cool first, wrap it tight in plastic and foil, and it'll keep for up to 3 months. Let it thaw in your fridge overnight before warming up.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- → Can I prepare this burrito casserole ahead of time?
Definitely! You can put the whole casserole together up to a day before, wrap it with plastic, and keep it in the fridge. When you're ready to cook, take it out about half an hour beforehand, and you might need to cook it a bit longer, roughly 5-10 extra minutes.
- → What can I substitute for cream of mushroom soup?
You can swap in cream of chicken or cream of celery soup without any problem. For more Mexican flavor, try using condensed cheddar cheese soup mixed with some diced green chilies from a small can.
- → How can I make this casserole spicier?
Toss in some diced jalapeños, a few drops of hot sauce, or pick a spicy taco seasoning packet. Another option is adding a layer of diced green chilies or swapping some of the Mexican cheese blend for pepper jack.
- → What toppings would complement this dish?
Fresh toppings make this dish even better! Try adding diced tomatoes, lettuce shreds, avocado slices, fresh cilantro, black olive slices, or a spoonful of guacamole. Serving with extra salsa or sour cream on the side works great too.
- → Can I use corn tortillas instead of flour tortillas?
You can definitely use corn tortillas, but they'll give you a different feel and taste. If you go with corn tortillas, quickly heat them in a dry pan first so they hold up better in your casserole.
- → Is there a vegetarian version of this casserole?
For sure! Just switch out the ground beef for a plant-based meat alternative, black beans, or another can of refried beans. Use a vegetable-based cream soup instead of mushroom, and make sure your refried beans don't contain lard if you want it truly vegetarian.