Taco Roll-up

My family loves tacos.  But you can only have tacos the same way so many times before you get sick of it.  I decided to change things up a bit.  Everyone loved it!  They wolfed it down and I think my daughter ate more than my husband....which is surprising because he can pack it away =)  I'm positive this will be a new regular taco meal for us.  The great thing too, is that it is easy to customize to your families tastes.  We don't do spicy (okay, my husband does but me and the kids don't) so we like it mild but it would be so easy to put a bit of fire in this recipe.

1 pound lean ground beef

1/2 to 1 (1.25-ounce) package taco seasoning mix

1/2 cup water

1 can white or pinto beans

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. minced garlic

1 tbsp. oil

(Or use a can of refried beans and you won’t need these)

 flour tortillas ( I would recommend the biggest ones you can get)

 salsa (I used mild since me and one of my kids don’t do spicey)

 shredded cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Mexican cheese blend

Drain your can of beans, but leave a bit of juice.  In a skillet, heat the oil, garlic, and onion powder.  Mix in the beans and heat until the beans soften.  Mash them with a potato masher, or put them in a food processor to make really smooth (I don’t like chunks of beans).

Crumble the ground beef into a large skillet and brown over medium-high heat. When the meat is cooked (about 10 minutes), drain the fat. Add the taco seasoning and water, then stir and simmer the mixture for 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the beans.

(it tastes better than it looks! I promise!)

To give the filling a smooth consistency, pour the beef mixture into a blender or food processor, eliminate any large chunks from the mix.

For each wrap, heat a tortilla in the microwave for 10 seconds. Spread about 1/2 cup of the beef mixture evenly over it, then top with a layer of salsa and cheese.

 Roll it up and tuck in the ends.

Tightly cover each sandwich in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Cut in half at serve.

I ended up using fajita size tortillas (that was what I had on hand and didn’t want to go to the store) So Instead of ½ cup on each, you just add about 2 tablespoons, about 1 tablespoon of salsa and cheese.  If you do them smaller, then they are more kid-friendly and easier for little hands to manage.

(these didn't roll as well as a bigger one would have, which is why I say get the big ones. But this is a good snack size. =)  These would also freeze great!  Just throw them on a pan, flash freeze, then put in Ziploc freezer bag and take one out when you want one.  Just reheat in the microwave or you could even bake in the oven and get a crunchier shell.

 The great thing too, is that it is easy to customize to your families tastes.  We don't do spicy (okay, my husband does but me and the kids don't) so we like it mild but it would be so easy to put a bit of fire in this recipe.

 If you want to spice it up, add some green chilies, red or yellow peppers (I wish I would have had some on hand and I would have done that!).