Crock Pot Shredded Beef Burritos

I wasn't particularly looking for a new burrito recipe, but when I saw this one - a crock pot burrito recipe - I totally wanted to try it.  I love the crock pot!  Here it is:

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 to 2 pounds stew meat or other beef cubed (top sirloin is great)
• 1 large can mild (red) enchilada sauce* (at least 19 oz.)
• 2 beef bouillon cubes
• 1/2 can refried beans (optional)
• 5-7 burrito size flour tortillas
• 1 cup or so of shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
Put beef, bouillon, and enchilada sauce*** into a crock pot and cook on low for 7-8 hours**, or until meat is very tender. (Can also cook on high for maybe 3-4 hours.)  I've also cooked it in a dutch oven for about 4 hours at 325 degrees.  More meat, more time.  A third option is to cook it in a large heavy saucepan--bring it to a boil on high heat, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the meat is tender.  If you go with a method other than the crock pot, make sure the pot is covered and pretty well sealed to minimize evaporation of the liquid.

When beef is done (very tender and flakes off when stirred), taste and add more salt, if desired. Heat up refried beans in the microwave (covered and in a microwave-proof dish, of course)and put your oven on broil. On an oven-proof plate, or cookie sheet even, lay out a tortilla.  Place on tortilla about 1/2 cup of the meat, drained by using a slotted spoon, and a spoonful or two of beans. Roll into a burrito (hopefully you know how to roll these). Pour some of the remaining enchilada sauce from the crock pot over the burrito to cover it. Sprinkle with some cheddar cheese. Broil until cheese is bubbly, about 2-4 minutes.


Serve.
Makes 5-7 burritos, depending on how full you make them.

*Lots of people ask about what brand of canned enchilada sauce I use. There's even some controversy there. Lots of people seem put off that I use a canned sauce and make their own. I originally used Las Palmas mild because that's what was mostly available in California. When I moved to Iowa, I had to switch to Old El Paso mild, and now my family is used to the super mildness of that and comment how spicy it is when I use Las Palmas. Both are great, as far as I'm concerned, but the Old El Paso mild is definitely the way to go if you want a mild experience.

**Note: You may have to adjust the cooking time depending on this size of your chunks of meat.  Larger chunks (like 1 1/2 to 2 inch chunks) may need a little longer.  Scrappy sort of chunks that are less than an inch may need a shorter cooking time.

***Another note: A commenter said she was disappointed when she made these because she couldn't really taste the enchilada sauce. That's happened to me too, and really, I prefer making these on the stove top. But sometimes when making them in the crock pot, I will either reserve 1/3 or so of the enchilada sauce or have a small can on the side that I add right before assembling the burritos.

SO simple.  I even added my own extra ingredient - a small can of diced green chiles.  (And YUM, I totally recommend that).  Anyway, not only was this dish super easy, it was also super delicious!!!!  I totally loved it and so did my husband.  I will definitely be using this recipe again!

If you think using stew meat sounds weird, don't worry - I thought it sounded weird too.  Mine turned out great, but I'm sure you could also use a beef chuck roast if you prefer that.

Oh, and instead of using the broiler at the end, I stuck them in the oven for 5-10 minutes.  I'm not a huge fan of the broiler for stuff like this.