Whether you’re too exhausted to cook after a long day of work or in the throes of insomnia, nothing hits the spot like a frozen burrito. Along with being one of the tastiest frozen foods you can find at Costco, these tidy little packages of beef, beans, and cheese offer a convenient way to feed yourself when cooking from scratch feels like too much. They’re also more versatile than they first appear. Though you can just pop them in the microwave as is for a savory treat, they also make a pretty delicious casserole.
If you’ve ever used frozen taquitos for easy enchiladas, the idea is pretty much the same — you basically just have to sub burritos for the taquitos, and you don’t even need to thaw them first. Simply nestle the frozen burritos into a standard 9×13-inch casserole dish and pour your chosen sauce on top. Enchilada sauce is an obvious choice, despite the fact that food purists may remind you that enchiladas and burritos aren’t the same thing. In this case, ease is more relevant than authenticity, and the results are just as comforting and zesty as the real thing.
Of course, you also don’t have to use enchilada sauce. Canned cream soup, like cheddar cheese or even mushroom, will give this dish a flavor profile closer to a classic American-style casserole. Either way, the final layer should be a generous handful of shredded cheese before baking it at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for between 30 and 40 minutes.
Tailoring this burrito bake to your tastes
It may seem like cheating to get something so delicious from such a simple process, but that’s the true beauty of this frozen burrito casserole. The burritos thaw as they bake, resulting in perfectly cooked fillings and tortillas that are tender and moist, but not soggy. This is also a fantastic recipe to keep in your back pocket for unexpected dinner guests, as it takes about eight standard burritos to fill a 9×13-inch casserole dish. Its simplicity also makes it very easy to change up the flavors every time you make it.
As mentioned, “cream of” soups make a great topping for this casserole because they offer a thick, creamy consistency that complements the burritos beautifully. You can also elevate them to amp up the flavor or evoke a certain type of cuisine. To keep things Tex-Mex, try stirring a can of chilis in adobo or chilis and tomatoes into a can of cheddar cheese or cream of chicken soup. Top the finished product with chopped avocados, sour cream, and your favorite salsa.
You can also take the dish in a Southwest direction by mixing canned chili with your favorite barbecue sauce and smothering the casserole in some melty pepper jack cheese. Try an extra hearty riff on biscuits and gravy by dousing the burritos in your favorite sausage gravy recipe — this would be especially tasty with chicken burritos or even breakfast burritos. Fry up some over-easy eggs while it bakes to turn it into a true breakfast casserole.
