Description
The viral cheesy beef pockets made for two: spiced ground beef and melty cheese folded into halved flour tortillas, brushed with garlic butter, topped with cheese and baked until golden and crisp.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/2 pound ground beef (85% lean)
- 1/2 small onion, finely diced
- 1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 burrito-size (10-inch) flour tortillas
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese (1/2 cup for inside, 1/2 cup for the top)
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400°F. Brush the baking dish with a little of the melted butter.
- Heat the olive oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook for about 5 minutes, breaking it up, until browned with no pink left. Spoon off excess fat if there is more than a tablespoon or so.
- Add the onion and red bell pepper and cook for about 4 minutes, until softened. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika and salt and cook for 1 minute.
- Pour in the water and simmer for about 3 minutes, stirring, until the filling is thick and no liquid pools in the pan. The beef should read 160°F. Take the pan off the heat and let the filling cool for 5 minutes.
- Cut each tortilla in half. Scatter a quarter of the inside cheese over each half and spoon a quarter of the filling into the middle. Fold one straight side over the filling, then the other, to make a triangle, and tuck the rounded edge underneath.
- Set the pockets seam side down in the baking dish. Stir the garlic powder into the remaining melted butter, brush it over the tops and scatter the topping cheese over them.
- Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until the tortillas are golden and crisp at the edges and the cheese is bubbling. Let the pockets rest for 2 minutes before serving.
Notes
Equipment: 10-inch skillet, 8-inch square baking dish or 9-inch pie plate, pastry brush, instant-read thermometer
- Keep the filling thick; a wet filling softens the tortillas from the inside.
- Ground turkey works in place of beef; cook it to 165°F.
- For more heat, add a pinch of red pepper flakes or a little diced jalapeno with the onion.
- Cheddar, Monterey Jack or a mix all melt well; pre-shredded cheese works too.
- Doneness: The filling is ready when the beef reaches 160°F and no liquid pools in the skillet.
- Doneness: The pockets are done when the tortilla edges are golden and crisp and the cheese on top is melted and bubbling.
- Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container within 2 hours and eat within 3 to 4 days. Reheat in a 400°F oven for about 10 minutes, until hot in the center (165°F).
- Cook ground beef to 160°F and ground turkey to 165°F, checked with an instant-read thermometer (USDA FSIS).
- Do not leave the cooked pockets at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Rest Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Tex-Mex