This Carne Asada Burrito Casserole Is a Connoisseur’s Delight
Hello and welcome back to Will It Casserole? , a column in which I take your delicious concepts and reintroduce them as delicious casserole creations. This week, we’re finally making a burrito casserole suggested by a very smart commentator , and we’re better off doing it.
In fact, I only made two small modifications to this original iconic idea. I used a skirted steak instead of ribeye, and also added some sautéed onions and bell peppers. You can of course skip these vegetables – as with your favorite fast-casual burrito – but I think they add a nice texture and keep them from being too heavy. This dish is more of a gourmet meal, and unlike the casserole itself, it is indeed addictive.
It has many ingredients, but there are also many potential abbreviations that I will list along with the ingredient list. It’s worth noting that this week we’re using a slightly smaller saucepan (vintage Pyrex 5×9), which allows for about six servings.
For the steak (don’t cut this):
- 1 skirt or flank steak about 3/4 to 1 lb.
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 4 cloves of finely chopped garlic
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- One lime juice
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
For rice (order it from Chipotle for under two bucks if you’re really lazy):
- 2 cups long grain rice made with your favorite rice cooking method, whether on the stovetop , in an instant saucepan , or in a fancy rice cooker.
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground cilantro
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
For roasted beans (swap them in the jar if you don’t want to make your own):
- 2 tablespoons duck fat
- 2 cloves of garlic, peeled but whole
- 1 can pinto beans, dried but not rinsed
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
For vegetables:
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips
- 1/2 white onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or duck fat
- A couple of healthy pinches of salt
CHEESE and other ephemeral:
- 1 1/4 cups chopped jack and cheddar mixture, divided
- 6 oz keso murals
- Sour cream
- Salsa verde
Make the marinade and pour over the steak in a gallon freezer bag. Let this tasty mess sit in the refrigerator for at least two hours, or overnight if you can. When marinating time comes to an end, cook the rice to your liking, then add lime juice and cilantro.
If you are re-frying the beans — and you should because of all the duck fat — heat the fat over medium heat in a small saucepan and add the whole peeled garlic cloves to the oil. Cook them until they are browned on both sides, then chop them with a wooden spoon until they become a paste. Add the beans, mix everything and cook until the beans begin to crumble a little. Beat the beans with a wooden spoon, potato grinder, or hand blender until you get the consistency you want and add the seasoning. Combine the beans and rice, place them in a baking dish and place a cup of the jack and cheddar mixture on top.
Cook the onions and bell peppers over medium to high heat in a large skillet, using your desired vegetable oil and a few pinches of salt. Make sure you get some good color on them – aim for “straight from the plate of fajita at the Applebee.” Once you get that done, put them on top of the cheese.
Place four ounces of your queso mural on top.
Remove the steak from the refrigerator and the bag and drain off any excess marinade. Increase the heat on the stove and in the same skillet in which you cooked the vegetables, grill the steak for five minutes on each side. Let it sit for another five, then cut it in front of the fibers into slices and then into small pieces. This meat will look rather soggy, but that’s okay – the oven will be more warm.
Place the meat on top of the cheese layer and place the remaining cheese on top. Turn the oven on at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes, until everything starts bubbling on the sides and the cheese is a little browned.
Let it cool for a few minutes, add sour cream and salsa and watch your wonderful casserole craftsmanship.
Grab the big hungry snacks and thank this lovely commenter for inviting us to look into this. Personally, this is one of my favorite casserole creations so far, but Offclair was taken aback even though he ate about five servings . “I don’t know if I want to wrap it up in a cake or not; it’s good, but confusing, ”he explained.
I explained that I never wanted to confuse him with my crafty actions, to which he replied: “It’s okay. That’s what good art does. “