I found a recipe for baked Chimichangas in a Weight Watchers cookbook. I’ve altered this recipe considerably – but retained the portion where they are baked, rather than fried. These were fabulous. I had never even considered making Chimichanga’s before – and these were really wonderful – full of flavor and quite easy to make. Serve with your favorite salsa, red or green, and a dollop of sour cream. You could even top with some guacamole if desired.
Ingredients:
1 lb extra lean ground beef (7% fat)
1 white onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
Drizzle of Olive Oil
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin powder
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
15 oz can tomato sauce
Shredded cheddar or jack cheese
8 - 10 flour tortillas, soft taco size (depending upon how full you want the chimichanga’s)
Salsa, Sour Cream and/or Guacamole for toppings, if desired.
Directions:
Drizzle olive oil in a non-stick skillet. Sauté onions, jalapeno and garlic until translucent. Add a touch of water if the mixture gets too dry and starts to burn.
Crumble ground beef into the onion mixture. Add the chili powder, cumin powder, oregano and salt; continue cooking, breaking the meat up as you go, until meat is thoroughly cooked.
Add the tomato sauce and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat and simmer until slightly thickened – about 5 minutes.
Warm the tortillas in the microwave. Spoon about 1 /2 cup of the filling into the center of each tortilla. Add desired amount of cheese. Fold in the sides, then roll to enclose the filling. Place each Chimichanga seam side down on a baking sheet.
Lightly spray the top of each Chimichanga with nonstick cooking spray. Bake until golden and crisp, about 20 minutes, in a 400 degree oven.
