Technically a chimichanga is Tex Mex and not true Mexican food. It is known to have originated in Arizona however exactly where it originated is the subject of some debate. I prefer the story of a chef who accidentally dropped some dough into a pot of hot oil, and in frustration yelled out, “Chimichanga” the equivalent in Spanish of “thingamajig.” I’m not sure how plausible that is, but that’s my story and I’m sticking to it!
You will need:
1 lb. of ground beef
1/2 cup of finely chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. dried oregano leaves
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/2 to 1 teaspoon of cumin
8 burrito sized flour tortillas
6 oz. of velveeta
2 cups of oil (for frying)
1/4 cup of sour cream
1/4 cup of finely chopped cilantro
1/2 Spanish onion
1 large tomato
avocado cut into wedges
Directions:
Brown the meat in a large skillet and drain. Add onions, garlic, oregano, crushed red pepper, cumin and mix well. Cook until onions are tender stirring occasionally. Drain meat mixture.
Place 1/4 cup of the meat mixture and 1 velveeta slice in the center of each tortilla. Fold in all sides of tortillas to completely enclose filling; secure with a wooden toothpick. Place in single layer on baking sheet; cover. Refrigerate 20 minutes to help the burritos hold their shape while frying.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan on medium-high heat. Add tortillas pouches, two at a time and cook for 5 minutes or until golden brown. As you remove each chimichanga, place it on a paper towel to drain.
Dice tomatoes, onions and cilantro and mix together. Top each chimichanga with a slice of avocado, sour cream and your freshly made pico de gallo.
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Valorie Delp shares recipes and kitchen tips in the food blog, solves breastfeeding problems, shares parenting tips, and current research in the baby blog, and insight, resources and ideas as a regular guest blogger in the homeschooling blog. To read more articles by Valorie Delp, click here.
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