Beef & Bean Chimichangas

This is my husband's favorite dinner. He would eat this every day for lunch and dinner if he could. And, since these chimis are baked (not fried), they are quite a bit healthier than the restaurant version. The small amount of butter brushed over the top makes them crispy. The picture is not great, but it was the best I could do -- my food photography skills leave something to be desired. ;)



Beef & Bean Chimichangas
Source: Allrecipes.com

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 3/4 C chopped onion
• 3/4 C diced green pepper
• 1 1/2 C whole kernel corn (I use a whole can)
• 2 C taco sauce
• 2 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. garlic salt
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 (16 0z) can refried beans (I use fat-free, and don't notice a difference in taste)
• 8 (12-inch) flour tortillas
• 1 (16 oz) package shredded monterey jack cheese
• 1 Tbsp. butter, melted
• shredded lettuce
• 1 tomato, diced

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat. Drain excess grease, and add the onion, bell pepper, and corn. Cook for about 5 more minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Stir in the taco sauce, and season with chili powder, garlic salt and cumin, stirring until blended. Cook until heated through, then remove from heat, and set aside.
3. Open the can of beans, and spread a thin layer of beans onto each of the tortillas. Spoon the beef mixture down the center, and then top with as much shredded cheese as you like. Roll up the tortillas, and place them seam-side down onto a baking sheet. Brush the tortillas with melted butter.
4. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown. Serve with lettuce and tomato.

Slow-Cooker Pot Roast

This was seriously the easiest dinner ever, and I threw out all my other pot roast recipes after I tasted this one. I very loosely used a recipe from AllRecipes -- I adapted it quite a bit and really only used the recipe for the gravy. The pot roast smelled fantastic, was incredibly tender, and yielded TONS of gravy -- my favorite part. Don't worry if you don't like mushrooms -- my husband hates them, and he said he couldn't taste them in the gravy at all. I like my potatoes and carrots very soft, but if you like yours a little firmer, put them in about an hour before the end of the cooking time. You can also use a smaller roast if you prefer; there are only two of us, so I used a 2# roast.

Slow Cooker Pot Roast

• 1 pound red potatoes, quartered


• 1/2 bag baby carrots


• 5 1/2 pound pot roast


• salt & pepper to taste


• 1 Tbsp. olive oil


• 2 (10.75 oz) cans low-sodium condensed cream of mushroom soup


• 1 (14 oz) can low-sodium beef broth


• 1 (1 oz) package dry onion soup mix


• 1 Tbsp. cornstarch


• 2 Tbsp. cold water

1. Quarter red potatoes. Place red potatoes and carrots in the bottom of a slow cooker.


2. Season pot roast with salt and pepper to taste. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown pot roast on all sides. Place roast in slow cooker on top of vegetables.


3. In a small bowl, mix together cream of mushroom soup, beef broth, and dry onion soup mix. Pour over roast and vegetables in slow cooker. Cook roast on LOW for 8 hours.


4. When roast is done, remove roast and vegetables from slow cooker (leaving gravy in slow cooker) -- keep roast and vegetables warm. In a small dish, mix together cornstarch and water until combined. Whisk cornstarch mixture into gravy, stirring constantly until thickened (about 2 minutes).