Free Food Friday: Tacoritos

I love Mexican food. This love seems to run in my family. I once took a poll amongst the household and found that 99% of the population of the Neighbour hood at any given time would love to have at least one all-Mexican-food-day per week. Well, the recipe I'm sharing today is pretty much not authentic at all, but the boys positively love it!
While I'm not too big on tacoritos for myself (I hate store-bought flour tortillas--ICK! and they make horrible enchilada-type dishes IMO), I do like them because they're very filling. Give me a half a tacorito with a small side of spanish rice and tortilla chips and I'm a stuffed goose till Christmas. Even the boys don't eat as much when we're having tacoritos. Therefore, I only have to make a double recipe (esp if I have rice on the side). Bonus! Unfortunately it does take extra time and sometimes another pair of hands to get them done on time...
"So what are they and why are they so filling?" you may wonder. Basically they're a knock-off of the enchilada (<3 <3 <3), but more like a burrito in that they have beans inside for that extra stuffedness. Aside from the beans they feature beef and pork and a slightly americanized home-made enchilada tacorito sauce. I sometimes change up the beef/pork ratio depending on what I have handy and I also like to add olives to the recipe because 99% of us love olives. Also, I sometimes make a vegetarian version of these which skips the meat & cheese (and use oil instead of butter if I need totally dairy free) for those special dietary considerations. Yay allergies -_-
So, without further ado. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter, cubed
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups water
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 pound bulk pork sausage
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup refried beans
• 8 flour tortillas (8 inches), warmed
• 3 cups (12 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• Optional toppings: shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, sliced ripe olives and sour cream

Directions

• In a large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour until smooth; gradually add water. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1 minute or until thickened. Stir in chili powder and garlic salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
• In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the beef, sausage and onion until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in refried beans; heat through.
• Spread 1/4 cup sauce in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Spread 1 tablespoon sauce over each tortilla; place 2/3 cup meat mixture down the center of each. Top each with 1/4 cup cheese. Roll up and place seam side down in prepared dish. Pour remaining sauce over the top; sprinkle with remaining cheese.
• Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 18-22 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is melted. Serve with optional toppings if desired. Yield: 8 servings.

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Tacoritos