Baby Baked Beef Burritos

These little beef burritos are filled with spicy beef, jalapeño, onions, black beans, corn, cheese, and a mix of herbs and spices, and they are baked until slightly crispy. What makes them babies? They are made with taco sized flour tortillas.

They are not as small as egg rolls. They are about half the size of a regular sized burrito. They would be perfect for lunch or as part of a multi-course Mexican themed dinner. You can make these ahead of time and reheat them for a about 5 to 10 minutes in the oven (not the microwave, or they will be soggy).

I need to work on my burrito folding skills... which brings me to the reason why I made these burritos (besides the fact that they are delicious)!

It's Secret Recipe Club reveal day!! Each month we are assigned a member's blog from which to make a recipe. This month I was assigned the blog Sew You Think you can Cook! by Lauren. She is an aerospace engineer (I"m seriously impressed) who hopes to someday be a caterer.

When I first looked through her blog for something to make, these burritos called my name! I was a little intimidated at first because Lauren used to work at a burrito joint (it's where she met her adorable husband) and says she silently critiques others' burrito making skills. She says she uses the "shimmying" method. I need some lessons.

One of the cool things (among the many cool things) that Lauren is doing is cooking her way through the book Eating the Bible: Over 50 Delicious Recipes to Feed Your Body and Nourish Your Soul.

Nice to meet you Lauren! I love your blog!

Baby Baked Beef Burritos

Recipe adapted from Sew You Think You Can Cook!

Ingredients

1T vegetable oil

1 large onion, diced

1 jalapeño, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 pound lean ground beef

1 T tomato paste 

1 C canned corn kernels, drained 

1/2 C black beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 C beef broth (I used a demi-glace mixed with some water)

1/2 tsp cumin

1 T fresh oregano, chopped

1 1/2 tsp chili powder

1 T brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

12 taco sized flour tortillas

1 C shredded Mexican blend cheese

Spray oil

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In  a large skillet, saute the onion and jalapeño over medium high heat for about 3 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and cook about 30 seconds, until fragrant. 
4. Add the beef, and cook while breaking it up in the pan, until done. 
5. Add the tomato paste, corn, beans, and broth, and stir. Add the cumin, oregano, chili powder, brown sugar, and salt. Cook until the liquid has been evaporated, about a minute or two. 
6. Spray a sheet pan with spray oil. Fill the 12 tortillas with the filling and cheese and place them seam side down on the sheet. Spray them with spray oil. 
7. Bake the burritos for about 20 minutes. If you have a convection option, turn it on for the last 5 minutes. 
8. Serve immediately, with hot sauce, salsa, sour cream, cilantro, and guacamole if you like (and margaritas!). 
9. These can be made in advance and reheated in a 350 degree F oven for about 5 to 10 minutes to re-crisp.