In Wisconsin, we are in the beginnings of deer hunting season. The time when deer hunters around the state are taking stock of what is left in their freezer from last season’s successful hunts and figuring out how much meat they need to eat to make room for a new deer or two. At our house, we found we had 40 (FORTY!) pounds of ground venison left. Oh man. Don’t get me wrong, that’s a great problem to have but at the same time, we need to use it up. We have our go to meals: tacos, Korean BBQ Inspired Beef, and pasta. But we are always looking for something new, and man, I think I hit the jackpot in the creation of this stupidly simple Tex Mex Burrito Bake.
What I adore about this meal is two fold: My family LOVED it. Like, ‘my big kiddo couldn’t get enough’ loved it and it is honestly one of the easiest meals I have put together in a long time.
Nearly every ingredient is a pantry item at our house. We love tacos so much that it’s a rare day that we don’t have soft shells in our pantry. Salsa is a constant in our fridge and we always have some Mexi-corn in our pantry for Kelly’s Texas Caviar. And I just started keeping Cotija cheese on hand as a great alternative to feta (It’s a Mexican take on a dry salty cheese). If you don’t have it, it’s optional anyway!
This Tex Mex Burrito Bake will be start to finish in under 40 minutes, including its bake time. I know my kids have been requesting it again and again. I hope your family will love it that much too!
Let’s get cooking!
Your Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground protein (I did venison)
- 1 cup diced onion (about 2 small)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- Cayenne pepper and salt, to taste
- 1 14 ounce can Mexicorn (corn with peppers), drained
- 1 cup salsa, whatever level of heat you prefer
- 2 cups shredded cheese, divided
- 10 fajita style soft tortillas
- Cotija cheese, optional
- Sour Cream and Cilantro, optional
You Steps to Tex Mex Burrito Bake
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9×13 glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
In a large skillet, heat the oil. Add onions and minced garlic. Cook 3-4 minutes, until just starting to soften. Add ground protein, cumin, paprika, and cayenne pepper, cooking until no longer pink. Stir in salsa, Mexi-corn and 1 ½ cups of shredded cheese. Mix until the cheese is melted through and remove from heat. Test the filling, adding salt and pepper as needed.
Spoon ½ cup of filling into each shell and roll up, placing seam side down in the prepared baking dish. Top with additional shredded cheese and Cotija cheese. Bake uncovered for 10-12 minutes. If you like your cheese browned like I do, feel free to turn on the broiler and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, but watch carefully!
Serve with sour cream and cilantro.
Tex Mex Burrito Bake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground protein I did venison
- 1 cup diced onion about 2 small
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- Cayenne pepper to taste
- 1 14 ounce can Mexicorn corn with peppers, drained
- 1 cup salsa whatever level of heat you prefer
- 2 cups shredded cheese divided
- 10 fajita style soft tortillas
- Cotija cheese optional
- Sour Cream and Cilantro optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9×13 glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a large skillet, heat the oil. Add onions and minced garlic. Cook 3-4 minutes, until just starting to soften.
- Add ground protein, cumin, paprika, and cayenne pepper, cooking until no longer pink.
- Stir in salsa, Mexicorn and 1 ½ cups of shredded cheese. Mix until the cheese is melted through and remove from heat.
- Spoon ½ cup of filling into each shell and roll up, placing seam side down in the prepared baking dish.
- Top with additional shredded cheese and Cotija cheese. Bake uncovered for 10-12 minutes.
- If you like your cheese browned turn on the broiler and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, but watch carefully!
- Serve with sour cream and cilantro.
Looking for other Great Recipes?
What’s for dinner this week? Maybe I can suggest some of these family favorites! Our simply check out my cooking page for more inspiration.
