baked beef chimichangas

This recipe and picture comes from breakfast lunch & dinner. I made these earlier this week and froze about half of them for later use. Jon and I pulled some out tonight after a failed dinner attempt and I have to say that I think that I actually prefered them cooked from frozen. I served them with a salsa verde, but you could obviously serve with any traditional toppings.



1 pound cooked, shredded chicken or beef
1½ cup salsa (your favorite kind)
16 ounces refried beans
4 ounces diced green chilies
1 envelope taco seasoning
16 burrito size flour tortillas
16 ounces monterrey jack and cheddar cheese, cut into 16 sticks each

Toppings: sour cream, lettuce, guacamole, salsa, enchilada sauce etc.

In a skillet combine shredded meat, salsa, beans, un-drained chilies, and taco seasoning. Cook over medium heat until heated through. Warm tortillas (optional). For each chimi, place 1/3 cup mixture atop tortilla near one edge. Top with cheese sticks. Fold in sides, roll up starting with the mixture/cheese side first. Wrap each chimi individually in foil. Bake on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake until crisp and brown, about 17-20 minutes more.

This also works great as a make-ahead meal. Once you wrap each chimi in foil, place them (uncooked) in freezer containers, seal and label. They will keep well for up to 6 months in the freezer, and can then even be reheated one at a time. When you are ready to cook the frozen chimis, follow the directions below, but cook for 50 minutes in the foil, then 17-20 without (may also thaw in fridge overnight & then cook with regular directions).

I used left-over pot roast but you could also put a roast in the crock pot the night before with some salt and pepper, a sliced onion or two, a jar of salsa or enchilada sauce, some cumin or taco seasoning. Cook on low overnight and through the day until ready to add the chimichanga ingredients. The meat is simply gorgeous by then, and has required minimal effort, which is always glorious.

meatballs with cream sauce

This recipe/picture was taken from My Kitchen Cafe. Everything I have tried from this blog has been a total hit. I have a husband who generally doesn't eat leftovers, but this meal is one exception. We have made this recipe twice now, and we prefer to make our meatballs a little larger (about 15 meatballs) and cook them for longer.



MEATBALLS:
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup quick oats
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
3 tablespoons flour

CREAM SAUCE:
2 tablespoons butter
3 1/2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 can chicken broth
2/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

In a bowl, combine all of the meatball ingredients EXCEPT the beef and flour. Add beef and mix well. Shape into balls. Roll in flour, shaking off excess. Place 1 inch apart on cookie sheet and bake, uncovered, at 400 for 10 minutes. Turn meatballs, bake 8-10 minutes longer or until no longer pink. Meanwhile, for the sauce, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour, thyme, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually add broth and milk; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes, until slightly thickened. If using the full can of chicken broth, the sauce doesn't thicken overly much, but it is delicious that way. If you want it slightly thicker, cut down the chicken broth to 1 cup. Drain meatballs on paper towels; transfer to a serving dish. Top with sauce and parsley. Serve over rice or egg noodles.