Make Ahead Chimichangas Food

MAKE AHEAD BEEF CHIMICHANGA RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Saute onion and add ground beef in a skillet.
• Cook until no longer pink (approx 7-10 mins).
• Take off heat and drain.
• Stir in refried beans, salsa and cheese after cool for a minute.
• Melt butter and brush on tortillas, both sides. Wax paper can be used for less mess.
• Spoon about 1/4 c. of beef mix into the center of the tortilla.
• Fold sides over tortilla, like a burrito.
• Place on baking sheet, seam side down.
• Make sure to space them out so they are not touching.
• Bake for 5-7 minutes per side or until golden brown.
• Optional - sprinkle with additional cheese and return to oven to melt cheese (watch closely to avoid burning them).
• Serve with favorite toppings - Sour cream, lettuce, olives, additional cheese, tomatoes, guacamole, etc.

ALMOST-FAMOUS CHIMICHANGAS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Melt the butter with 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a skillet; transfer to a bowl. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in the skillet. Add the onion, garlic and jalapeno and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the chili powder, cumin, cinnamon and 1 teaspoon salt; toast 30 seconds. Add the tomato and cilantro and cook until slightly dry, about 2 minutes. Stir in the chicken and sour cream and warm through. Remove from the heat.
• Brush a rimmed baking sheet with some of the butter-oil mixture. Spread 2 tablespoons refried beans down the center of each tortilla, leaving a 2-inch border on both ends. Top with 1 cup chicken mixture and 1/4 cup cheese. Fold in the ends and roll up.
• Put the chimichangas seam-side down on the baking sheet; brush with the butter-oil mixture. Bake 8 to 10 minutes per side, brushing again after you flip. Top with the sauce, more cheese, lettuce and tomato. Serve with rice and the remaining beans.
• Saute onions and garlic cloves in a skillet with vegetable oil. Add a pinch each of chili powder, cumin, sugar and salt; cook 30 seconds. Stir in green chiles; cook 2 minutes. Add chicken broth and simmer until thickened, then puree. Stir in cilantro.

CHICKEN CHIMICHANGAS

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan combine the broth, rice, sauce, and 1 diced onion. Mix and bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and let simmer for about 20 minutes, or until rice is tender.
• Meanwhile, heat tortillas in a large skillet (so that they are soft enough to fold).
• When rice mixture is ready, spoon equal amounts of the following onto each tortilla: Chicken, shredded Jack cheese, diced onion, olives, rice mixture and beans. Roll tortillas, tucking in sides to prevent filling from spilling over.
• Heat oil in a large skillet and fry the filled tortillas, turning, until browned on all sides. Drain on paper towels.
• To Serve: In a medium bowl combine the avocados, cilantro, lemon juice, green onions, chile peppers and tomatoes. Mash together. Place shredded lettuce on a platter, topped with chimichangas, avocado mix, sour cream and shredded Cheddar cheese.

MAKE-AHEAD BURRITOS OR CHIMICHANGAS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In large skillet, combined meat, salsa, beans, undrained chilies, and seasoning mix. Cook and stir over medium heat until heated through.
• In second skillet, heat tortillas, one at a time, about 30 seconds per side. For each burrito/chimichanga, place 1/3 cup meat mixture atop a tortilla, near one edge. Top with a cheese stick. Fold sides in, roll up starting with cheese side. Wrap individually in foil.
• To store for later: At this point, place wrapped burritos/chimichangas in plastic zip bags, label and freeze for up to 6 months.
• To prepare from frozen: Bake desired number in preheated 350 oven for 50 minutes or until heated through. For burritos: Bake additional 10 minutes in foil. Serve with toppings. For chimichangas: Unwrap and place on baking sheet, bake additional 10 minutes until tortillas are crisp - OR - fry in 1/4" oil in large fry pan, turning and cooking until golden and crisp.
• To prepare from thawed, reduce initial baking time to 30 minutes.
• Serve with toppings of your choice: sour cream, guacamole, diced green onions, salsa or shredded cheese.
• Makes 16.

EASY MAKE-AHEAD CHIMICHANGAS FOR KIDS

Steps:

• Assembly and Baking Directions: Shred chicken (or crumble ground beef). You should have about 3 cups. In bowl combine chicken, salsa, beans, and cheese.
• Place bag of tortillas in Microwave until warmed through.
• Spread out tortillas individually on a clean dry surface.
• Fill individual tortillas with 1/2 cup filling mixture.
• Fold up bottom.
• Fold in one side and squish it around the filling, and roll it up.
• Freezing and Cooking Directions: Spread out chimi's on cookie sheet and flash freeze for about two hours.
• Gather up frozen chimi's and place in gallon size freezer bag together.
• Great for individual lunches.
• Bake at 350 degrees for about 30-40 minute OR heat them in 1/4 inches deep oil in skillet for approximately 18 minute over med-LOW heat.
• Turn them once and watch them carefully.
• Serve with sour cream.

CHIMICHANGA

Steps:

• Rub the roast with salt and pepper.
• Warm 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings in a Dutch oven or other large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Brown the roast on all sides. Reduce the heat to low, scatter half of the onion and half of the garlic over and around the meat. Pour the beef stock over it. Cover and simmer for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours, until the roast is very tender. Let the meat sit in the cooking liquid until cool enough to handle. Drain the meat, reserving the cooking liquid. Shred the meat into bite-size pieces with your fingers or in several small batches in a food processor.
• Warm the remaining 2 tablespoons bacon drippings in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute the remaining onion and garlic in the fat until the onion softens. Add the meat and saute until well-browned, about 10 minutes. Scrape the meat up from the bottom every few minutes, getting it crusty in some spots. Pour the reserved cooking liquid into the pan and add the tomatoes and chiles. Cook for about 15 minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated. The meat should remain moist but not juicy. Adjust the seasoning if you wish. (The meat can be made ahead to this point and refrigerated, covered, for up to several days. Warm the meat before proceeding.)
• You'll need about 5 cups of the shredded meat mixture for the chimichangas. Spoon it evenly over the tortillas. Roll up each tortilla, tucking in the ends to make a secure fat tube that resembles an overgrown Chinese egg roll. Secure the rolls with toothpicks.
• Shortly before you plan to eat the chimichangas, warm at least 4 inches of oil in a Dutch oven or other large heavy pan to 375 degrees F. Fry the chimichangas one or two at a time until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Turn the chimis to fry them evenly. Drain them and arrange on serving plates. Top with cheese, sour cream, tomato, scallions and salsa. Serve immediately.

MAKE AHEAD CHIMICHANGAS

Steps:

• Using two forks, shred cooked meat or chicken (should have about 3 cups).
• In a large skillet combine meat or chicken, salsa, beans, undrained chili peppers, and seasoning mix.
• Cook and stir over medium heat until heated through.
• In another skillet heat tortillas, one at a time, over medium-low heat about 30 seconds per side.
• For each chimichanga, place 1/3 cup meat mixture atop a tortilla, near one edge.
• Top with a cheese stick.
• Fold in sides; roll up, starting with cheese side.
• Bake, covered, in 350 degree F.
• oven for 30 minutes.
• Uncover and bake 10 minutes more or until heated through.
• Serve with salsa, dairy sour cream, and hot cooked rice, if desired.
• Make-Ahead Tip: To freeze, place chimichangas in freezer containers.
• Seal, label, and freeze for up to 6 months.
• To prepare, wrap frozen chimichangas individually in foil.
• Bake in a 350 degree F.
• oven about 50 minutes or until heated through.
• (Or, thaw chimichangas in refrigerator overnight. Bake about 30 minutes.) Unwrap.
• Bake 10 minutes more or until tortilla is crisp and brown.
• Or, heat about 1/4-inch depth of oil in a skillet.
• Cook desired number of frozen chimichangas, uncovered, in hot oil about 25 minutes (about 18 minutes if thawed) over medium-low heat or until golden, turning often.

IMPOSSIBLE™ BAKED CHIMICHANGAS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Cook and stir Impossible Burger in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until browned and crumbly, 5 to 6 minutes.
• Mix crumbles, refried beans, cheese, salsa, chili powder, cumin, and oregano together until combined.
• Lay tortillas on a flat work surface and place about 1/3 cup of filling in the center of each tortilla.
• Fold tortilla sides up over filling and roll up like burritos.
• Place chimichangas on a foil-lined baking sheet and brush with oil.
• Bake until golden and crisp, about 20 minutes.

STREAMLINED CHIMICHANGAS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
• Brown meat with onion and garlic.
• Drain, but do not rinse.
• Stir in picante sauce, cumin, oregano and salt.
• Simmer 5 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated.
• Brush one side of the tortillas with butter.
• On unbuttered side spoon heaping 1/3 cup of meat mixture into center.
• Fold 2 sides over filling, fold ends down.
• Place seam side down in a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish.
• Bake for 13 minutes or until golden brown.
• To serve, top with sour cream, guacamole and additional picante sauce.

MINI CHIMICHANGAS

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in taco seasoning and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat; cool slightly., In a large bowl, combine the cheese, sour cream and chiles. Stir in beef mixture. Place an egg roll wrapper on work surface with a point facing you. Place 1/3 cup filling in center. Fold bottom third of wrapper over filling; fold in sides. , Brush top point with egg white; roll up to seal. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling. (Keep remaining egg roll wrappers covered with waxed paper to avoid drying out.), In a deep cast-iron or electric skillet, heat 1 in. oil to 375°. Fry chimichangas on each side or until golden brown, 1-1/2 minutes . Drain on paper towels. Serve warm with salsa and sour cream.