Smothered Burritos Con Carne

I like Taco Bell.  I do.  I admit it.  I can't help it.  I know it's Grade D meat, I've heard the stories about all the nastiness people have found in their tacos, and all of that stuff.  But drive to your nearest Taco Bell right now, order a Mexican Pizza,  take a bite, and tell me that it's not delicious.  Seriously, I challenge someone to honestly say a Mexican Pizza is not delicious.  Impossible.

With all that being said, I do try to avoid it.  I don't remember the last time I've eaten Taco Bell, but I'm sure it's gotta be over a year ago (maybe two).  The most recent commercials have been killing me though.  Every time I see that smothered burrito, I think, dang!  that has got to be the most delectable food on the planet.  So, being who I am and doing what I do, I decided to try to recreate this at home with quality ingredients that I can control.  And here is what I came up with.  I have never tried the original so I can't really say how close the taste is, but this did turn out really, really good.  And I don't have to be afraid of finding a Band-Aid in my meal!  It's a win-win!

Smothered Burritos Con Carne

Ingredients:

2 lb chuck roast
1/2 cup salsa
2 Tbsp taco seasoning
2 10 oz cans red enchilada sauce
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese (I used reduced fat)
7 large burrito size tortillas
Rice and Black Beans, prepared according to package directions (optional)
Optional Garnish:  Jalapeno slices, sour cream, more salsa

In your large slow cooker, combine salsa, taco seasoning, and 1.5-2 cups of water.

Now place roast into slow cooker.  If it's not totally covered, just add more water.  Now cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 4 hours.  At this point you can prepare your rice and beans, if you'd like to add that to the burrito.  Just set aside til ready to assemble burritos.

To check the roast to make sure it's done, kind of poke it with a fork or spoon.  It should easily flake apart.  Mine looked like this:

Once it's done, remove the roast to a large cutting board.  Allow to cool at least 20 minutes so you can easily handle without burning yourself (like I do every time because I am that impatient).

When it's cool enough, pull roast apart.  I just used a wooden spoon and it easily fell apart.

At this point, remove any pieces of fat.  This roast did not have much, but I did remove all I saw.  Now take a large knife and chop into small pieces.  Remember, this is going to be the filling of your burritos, so you don't want huge pieces.

Looks like the pieces are all pretty small and uniform, which is what you want.  Now, you're almost ready to roll.  Preheat your oven to 325.  Spray 13x9 pan with cooking spray.  Set up your counter top so that you can easily scoop the burrito ingredients into shells and place in the pan.

From left to right, I have my meat, rice + beans (already cooked), tortilla rolling station, and pan.  Now scoop some meat onto your shell.  Remember you're making seven burritos, so try to keep that in mind when determining amount to scoop into each shell.

Now add the rice and beans.  Same ratio, about 1/7th of what you have.

Now tuck in the ends, and roll one side up, then then other.

Place seam side down in your dish.

Repeat with each burrito til you've got all seven in your baking dish.

Now pour the two cans of enchilada sauce over the burritos, allowing it to spill over the sides into the baking dish.

Now top with cheese.

Now bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour.  It would be best to cover to keep everything soft and prevent browning, but make sure you use the non-stick foil so it doesn't pull your cheese off.  Top with some jalapenos if you like.

I have a shadow.  A furry, begging shadow.

Here is what the final product looks like after baking:

Yum!  Now dig in!

Top with sour cream and salsa.  Enjoy!

Chicken Parmesan

Ah, Chicken Parmesan.  Who doesn't love it?  If you don't love it then you've never had it.  Crispy chicken topped with Parmesan, served over pasta and covered with sweet and tangy marinara.  Serve with a salad and some bread and you'll feel just like Giada de Laurentiis.

Some key ingredients here:

Parmesan Cheese!  Obviously this is important, being one of the title ingredients.  If you really want this to be great, buy the BLOCK of Parmesan, not the stuff in the green can.  Here's what it looks like:

In my beloved Publix, it's in the deli section of the store (not the normal cheese section).  It is not cheap, but it will last a while. And it's so much better in every way.  Probably because you're eating actual cheese instead of some chemically-enhanced cheese powder business.  Kinda gross once you think about it.

Panko!

AKA Japanese breadcrumbs.  These add a delicious, light crispiness that is key to the texture of this dish and so many others.  Pick some up, you'll love em.

And if you don't know, now you know.

Chicken Parmesan

Ingredients:

3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts (mine totaled 2.3 lbs)

1 cup all purpose flour

1 egg, beaten

1 1/2 cups Panko bread crumbs

2 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium sweet onion, diced

3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 cup red wine

2 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes

1 Tbsp sugar

salt & pepper to taste

1 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese (plus more for garnish)

 

The first step is to prepare your chicken.  Cut each breast in half lengthwise, so it's the same size, but half the thickness.  

Like so:

Now you'll have six pieces instead of three.  Place all your chickens between two sheets of plastic wrap.  Then get out your meat mallet, rolling pin, or big heavy can, and pound the chicken til it's nice and even and thin.  Go for around 1/2 inch at the thickest.

Yay!  Pounding chicken is fun.  Salt and pepper each piece to your liking.  

Next, you want to bread your chickens.  To do this, you want to prepare three coating stations.  You'll need three large shallow bowls (or plates, just use whatever you have).  In the first, add your flour.  Crack your egg into the second and beat with a fork.  Add about a tablespoon of water and mix it up.  In the third bowl, dump your Panko breadcrumbs.

Here is what your breading assembly line will look like:

Flour, egg, Panko.  Good.

Go ahead and heat your 1 Tbsp olive oil + 1 Tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium heat.

Now put your chicken through the assembly line.  First, dunk in the flour, making sure both sides get coated.

Like so:

Next, dip it in the egg:

And finally, roll it around in the Panko breadcrumbs.

Once your skillet is hot, add half your chickens to the skillet.  I am cooking mine in two batches, but feel free to do it in one if you have a monster size skillet. 

After 5 minutes or so, check to see how brown your chickens are getting on the bottom.  When they're brown enough, flip em.

Lovely!

Cook another five minutes or so until done throughout.  It shouldn't take too long since you pounded them so thin.  

Now remove the done chicken from the skillet.  Add 1 more Tbsp butter, one more Tbsp oil, and when hot and bubbly, add the other three chickens.  Cook these the same as the first batch.  Set aside when done.

Now do not clean your skillet!  Leave all the drippings/oil/butter, and keep medium heat going.  

To your skillet, add the diced onion. 

Saute for 5 minutes until getting tender and translucent.  Now add the garlic and cook another 2-3 minutes.

Next, pour in the wine.

Now it should look very purple-y.  With a wooden, flat-bottomed spatula spoon thing, deglaze the pan (scrape up all the cooked on bits from the bottom of the pan and stir it around).  Allow to simmer for 5 minutes or until it is reduced by about half.  It should look like this:

The next guest to arrive to the party pan:  Crushed tomatoes!  Add both cans. 

Yum!  Now add sugar, and salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to low and simmer 15-20 minutes, stirring often.  

When that's done, stir in 1/2 cup chopped parsley.

Beautiful!  It looks like Christmas and the Italian flag all in one skillet.

Next add the chickens back to the skillet.  Top with fresh grated Parmesan cheese and the rest of the parsley.  I don't have a picture of this part because sometimes I get scared that Brent's starving so I get in a hurry at the end. 

Serve each chicken over pasta and make sure to add plenty of sauce (see my recipe for fresh homemade pasta here ). 

Chicken and Dumplings

Pretty much every time I eat at Cracker Barrel, I order the Chicken and Dumplings.  They have such a rich and creamy consistency, and a wonderful, almost peppery flavor.  I always assumed they are pretty high calorie, though, so I considered them a splurge.  They have to be bad for you, right?  I have been conditioned to believe the following food maxims:

Cream based = butter/cream/fat is the main ingredient = high calorie = pants too tight
Broth based = chicken/beef stock is the main ingredient = low calorie = can still fit in pants

For the most part, these rules are true.  BUT the Cracker Barrel Chicken and Dumplings are an unlikely exception!  The creamy consistency comes from slow-simmering dumplings in herb-infused chicken stock, causing them to partially dissolve and thicken the stock.  You'd swear there was a stick of butter in here, but there's not even a teaspoon.  Shocking?  Maybe.  Delicious?  Definitely!

Chicken and Dumplings

2-2.25 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 large white onion, cut into big chunks
1 clove garlic, peeled and quartered
1 bay leaf
1 sprig fresh parsley
1 tsp black pepper
Juice of half a lemon

Dumplings:

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup milk (I use skim)

In a large stock pot, combine 8 cups water, chicken, 1 tsp salt, onion, garlic, bay leaf, parsley, and 1 tsp salt.  Cook over medium heat for about an hour, uncovered.

With a slotted spatula or spoon, remove chicken, and skim off all the onions and herbs.  All you want remaining in the pot is the broth.

Discard everything but the chicken.  Keep broth at a simmer over medium to medium low heat.  To the broth, add the remaining 1/2 tsp salt, pepper, and lemon juice.  Cut or pull the chicken into bite size chunks.

To make the dumplings, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.  Mix well.  Add milk.

Combine until dough just comes together.  Don't overmix or dumplings will be tough.

Let dough rest 10 minutes. Then roll out to 1/2 inch thickness on floured surface.

Use a pizza cutter to slice into dumplings.  Mine were around 1 inch x 1 inch.

Drop dumplings into broth.  Dumplings will swell, then will partially dissolve to thicken the sauce.  Cook 25 minutes.

Once sauce is thickened and dumplings are cooked through, stir in the chicken.

Give the mixture a final stir to combine.  Serve immediately.  Enjoy!