These chili cheese burritos are the perfect combination of hearty, spicy chili and gooey melted cheese, wrapped in a soft flour tortilla. With options for different IDDSI levels, this recipe brings the flavors of a classic burrito to everyone’s table. Whether you’re making this as a quick lunch or a comforting dinner, these burritos are satisfying, flavorful, and adaptable for texture-modified diets.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- In a large skillet, cook the ground beef over medium heat until browned. Drain any excess fat. Add the beans, crushed tomatoes, broth, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Stir well to combine.
- Simmer for 10-15 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld and the chili to thicken slightly. If needed, add more broth to reach a suitable consistency for texture modification.
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour, whisking constantly for 1-2 minutes to create a roux. Slowly whisk in the milk, continuing to stir until the sauce thickens. Add the shredded cheese, stirring until completely melted and smooth. Adjust the sauce with additional milk if needed to achieve a creamy, pourable consistency.
- Warm the flour tortillas until soft. Spoon a generous amount of chili filling onto each tortilla, followed by a drizzle of cheese sauce. Roll up each tortilla, tucking in the sides to form a burrito.
Notes
IDDSI Texture Modifications:
- Puree 4 (PU4): Can spread a layer of tortilla pureed with broth/water and spread into rounds like street tacos and layer the pureed chili and cheese sauce on top of each round.
- Minced & Moist 5 (MM5): Pregel your tortillas (or crushed tortilla chips). Once cooked through, process meat and beans to ensure less than 4mm pieces throughout, then mix with cheese sauce and fill tortilla or serve in bowl.
- Soft & Bite-sized 6 (SB6): Pregel your tortillas (or tortilla chips). Ensure meat is crumbled and test beans with width of fork tines to ensure bite size appropriate. Layer the chili and the sauce in the tortillas or on chips or as a burrito bowl as desired.
- Easy to Chew 7 (EC7): Skip any tortilla chips and go for tortillas, the recipe is easy to chew.
- Protein: Increase protein by adding blended lentils to chili, unflavored protein powder to the cheese sauce (start with 1 tsp), top with a dollop of Greek yogurt or include poached egg or egg whites in the chili while cooking.
- Fats: To change levels , add or cut down on butter in cheese sauce, use reduced or full fat dairy and meats.
- Carbs: Add pureed vegetables, like sweet potato, zucchini, or spinach, into the chili to add fiber to reduce impact of carbs on blood sugars, use a bowl (possibly with riced cauliflower) to replace the tortilla.
- Gluten-free: Opt for corn tortillas in a street taco style (likely need utensils), or go for corn chips to replace the tortillas, and use gluten free flour for roux.
- Dairy-free/Vegan: Use a cheese sauce substitute and a plant protein like textured vegan protein to achieve the similar textures and assembly.
- Mix the chili ingredients in an oven safe dish and cover and bake in an oven for an hour at 350°, stirring and breaking up chunks halfway through.
- Your favorite version of canned chili can be blended or mashed as needed. Premixed spice blends can be used but you’ll save a lot over time with slowly buying spices in bulk and just experimenting with quantities to fit your tastes.
- Skip the roux and just mix shredded cheese stirred into chili, however can lead to large clumps of stretchy cheese vs smooth consistency of a béchamel/queso.
- Can skip the pregelling of tortilla if you instead serve as a burrito bowl with layers.
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