Baked chimichangas with shredded beef are an easy and delicious way to use up any leftover slow cooker pot roast you might have!
I am sure that I have mentioned this here before, but I know a lot of people who don’t eat leftovers. I don’t mean that they never have leftovers and therefore never have the opportunity to eat leftovers…I mean that they dislike leftovers, so much so that anything that doesn’t get eaten in their house the first go-round gets tossed. I used to have a general disdain for leftovers, but these days I live for leftovers. Every day that I have leftovers is a day that I don’t have to start from scratch with my meal prep, and that’s a good day, my friends.
There’s no arguing that some foods definitely taste different the second time around. Chicken is a prime example. Other foods, like macaroni and cheese, change texture when reheated, so they need a little extra milk or maybe some more cheese stirred in. There are very few leftovers, though, that can’t be salvaged. First, you have to know the right way to reheat them, like I do in this YouTube video that has changed my life when it comes to eating leftover pizza, fried foods, and, well, just about anything else.
I have another leftover strategy, though. I call it “repurposing”. That means that I take one food and turn it into something else. Leftovers are great for making tacos, soups, quiches, etc. This is actually my favorite strategy for leftovers because I love trying to think of something different to do with leftovers. The book Make Ahead Cook (⬅️that’s an affiliate link) from America’s Test Kitchen is a great resource for coming up ideas for make-ahead meals, using up leftovers, etc.
Mexican standards really are a great vehicle for using up leftover meats, beans, and vegetables. Tacos, burritos, tostadas, nachos, enchiladas, chimichangas…I could keep going. I decided that my slow cooker pot roast deserved to be remade into chimichangas, and since I’m not a huge fan of frying, baked chimichangas seemed like the way to go. With sautéed vegetables, cheese, and shredded beef, these baked chimichangas definitely do the tender shredded pot roast justice.
Do you like leftovers? If so, what’s your favorite way to eat them?
For other great recipes, check out the Meal Plan Monday link-on Southern Bite!
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Mary
Yield: 4 servings
10 minPrep Time:
25 minCook Time:
35 minTotal Time:
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil, divided
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
- 1 poblano pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
- 2 cups shredded leftover beef roast (you could also use chicken or pork)
- 8 8-inch flour tortillas
- 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded pepper jack, Monterey jack, or cheddar cheese
- sour cream, guacamole, and salsa, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a medium skillet, preheat one tablespoon of the oil over medium heat.
- Add the onions and pepper to the skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until tender, five to eight minutes. Add the shredded beef and cook until heated through.
- Divide the beef mixture evenly among the tortillas (slightly less than 1/2 cup of the mixture per tortilla) then top each with two tablespoons of cheese.
- Fold one side of the tortilla over the long edge of the filling.
- Fold the sides in.
- Roll the remaining unfolded end over the folded portion of the tortilla.
- Brush both sides of the chimichangas with the remaining oil. Place on the baking sheet with the folded side down. Bake for six to eight minutes then turn over and bake for another six to eight minutes, until lightly browned on both sides. Serve immediately with desired toppings.
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