Pan Burritos
Submitted by mrsg
Layered pan burritos with ground beef, refried beans, enchilada sauce, cheddar cheese, and flour tortillas baked casserole-style. Feeds a crowd, cuts like lasagna.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
60 minREADY
80 minThink of this as Mexican lasagna. Flour tortillas layered with seasoned ground beef, refried beans, enchilada sauce, and a full pound of cheddar cheese, baked until bubbling and golden.
The enchilada sauce is made from scratch by simmering enchilada sauce packets with tomato paste, water, and garlic. It divides into three parts: one mixed with the browned beef, one spread on the pan bottom, and one poured over the top. This triple-sauce approach means every layer is moist and flavorful, with no dry tortilla patches.
The assembly goes: sauce, tortillas (torn to fit), half the meat, cheese, more tortillas, refried beans, remaining meat, more cheese, final tortillas, last of the sauce, and a final blanket of cheese. It sounds like a lot of layers, but it goes fast. Let it rest 10 minutes after baking so it sets up enough to cut clean squares instead of collapsing on the plate.
Kitchen Tips
- Tear the tortillas to fit. Don’t worry about keeping them whole. Ripped pieces meld together during baking and cover more surface area.
- Warm the refried beans before spreading. Cold beans are too stiff to spread evenly and will tear the tortilla layer underneath.
- Let it rest a full 10 minutes. The cheese needs to firm slightly and the sauce needs to stop bubbling. Cutting too early gives you a sloppy mess.
Variations
- Chicken version: Replace the ground beef with shredded rotisserie chicken for a lighter take.
- Green sauce: Swap the enchilada sauce for salsa verde and use Monterey Jack cheese instead of cheddar for a tangy, milder version.
Ingredients
Directions
In a saucepan, combine the first six ingredients; simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
In a skillet, brown the beef.
Drain, stir in one-third of the sauce.
Spread another third on the bottom of a greased 9 x 2 inch baking pan.
Place three tortillas over sauce, tearing to fit bottom of pan.
Spoon half of meat mixture over tortillas; sprinkle with 1½ cups cheese.
Add three more tortillas.
Spread refried beans over tortillas; top with remaining meat.
Sprinkle with 1½ cups cheese. Layer remaining tortillas; top with the remaining sauce.
Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350℉ (180℃) for 35 to 40 minutes.
Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.
Serve with taco sauce, sour cream, chili peppers, chopped onion and/or guacamole if desired.
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