Week 11: Recipe #3--Crockpot Bean and Cheese Burrito Casserole

This crockpot recipe is from the blog, A Year of Slow Cooking.  It's a simple and tasty recipe; the only downside is that it's only 6-7 hours to cook on low, and that's if you have a 4-quart slow cooker.  If you have a larger one you have to reduce the cooking time by a few hours.  So, it's probably not a recipe to make if you are working all day.  I was able to make it when my husband had the day off, so he could put in the ingredients at the right time.  I served it with Spanish rice and fruit.

Photo from A Year of Slow Cooking blog

You'll Need:

• 1 small onion, peeled and diced
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 cans (14.5 oz. each) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 can (4 oz.) roasted green chiles, undrained
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• 1/4 tsp. ground cumin
• 8 flour tortillas
• 4 cups cooked pinto beans (three 15-oz. cans, drained)
• 4 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
• optional garnishes:  sour cream, sliced avocado, etc.

Preparation:

1. In a mixing bowl, stir together the onion, bell pepper, tomatoes, chiles, and spices.
2. Put a layer of tortillas into the bottom of your cooker--you may need to tear them a bit to get good coverage.  Add a scoop of the onion/tomato mixture and layer on a healthy spoonful of beans and then a layer of cheese.  Repeat layers until you've run out of ingredients.  Top with a healthy dose of cheese.
3. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours (if using a 6-qt, do 3 to 4 hours on low, then click it over to warm--there's nothing really to cook--you're just heating thoroughly and getting the cheese to get that yummy crust).
4. Top with desired garnishes.

Recipe and link:  http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2011/05/bean-and-cheese-burrito-casserole-slow.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+AYearOfCrockPotting+%28A+Year+of+Slow+Cooking%29