By Camila called from the high school — staying late with a student, teaching her to breathe, to project, to find the note that lives in the body and doesn't require the brain's permission. Camila teaches the way Rosa fed: instinctively, generously, with the understanding that the student will someday teach someone else, and the someday is the chain.
The five children: Carlos (the small eldest) had been killed in Juárez in 2008 at age 19 in the small cartel-violence. The small loss is the small permanent-wound. The small four-surviving-children are: Roberto Jr. (now 38, runs the small bakery’s wholesale operation, married with three kids), Elena (now 35, a small ER nurse, married with two kids), Mateo (now 32, a small high school teacher, married with one kid), and Sofia (now 28, the small bakery’s manager, engaged).
The small Mexican-cooking-tradition runs through the small kitchen-and-bakery. The small mole, the small chiles rellenos, the small tamales-at-Christmas, the small posada-foods, the small Three Kings Day rosca. The small recipes have come down through four-and-five generations of the small Gutierrez-Hernandez women.
The small El Paso-Juárez border-cousin-network continues. The small Juárez-side of the family (Maria Elena’s mother’s family) crosses the small bridge for the small family-events. The small cross-border family-life has been the small constant. The small post-Carlos-killing has changed the small relationship to the small Juárez-side.
The small Panadería Rosa in the small downtown El Paso continues to be the small business. The small bakery operates from four AM to six PM six days a week. The small pan dulce, the small empanadas, the small bolillos, the small conchas are the small daily-product. The small bakery is the small Maria Elena and Luis Gutierrez inheritance from Maria Elena’s parents.
The five children: Carlos (the small eldest) had been killed in Juárez in 2008 at age 19 in the small cartel-violence. The small loss is the small permanent-wound. The small four-surviving-children are: Roberto Jr. (now 38, runs the small bakery’s wholesale operation, married with three kids), Elena (now 35, a small ER nurse, married with two kids), Mateo (now 32, a small high school teacher, married with one kid), and Sofia (now 28, the small bakery’s manager, engaged).
The small twelve-grandchildren are the small joy-of-the-small-final-third-of-life. The small grandkids cycle through the small Sunday-bakery-and-Maria-Elena-house from morning to evening. The small intergenerational kitchen runs on the small Sunday.
The small Mexican-cooking-tradition runs through the small kitchen-and-bakery. The small mole, the small chiles rellenos, the small tamales-at-Christmas, the small posada-foods, the small Three Kings Day rosca. The small recipes have come down through four-and-five generations of the small Gutierrez-Hernandez women.
Luis (the small husband) operates the small bakery’s production side while Maria Elena runs the small front-of-house and the small recipe-development. The small forty-year-relationship (married against both small families’ wishes) has been the small life-partnership. The small Javier-loss in 1993 had been the small permanent wound the small family carries. The small marriage-survived.
The small El Paso-Juárez border-cousin-network continues. The small Juárez-side of the family (Maria Elena’s mother’s family) crosses the small bridge for the small family-events. The small cross-border family-life has been the small constant. The small post-Carlos-killing has changed the small relationship to the small Juárez-side.
The bakery runs on pan dulce and bolillos and the four AM alarm, but the cooking that holds this family together happens after six PM, when the cases are empty and the chairs are on the tables and it’s finally just us. On the Sundays when all twelve grandchildren are cycling through the kitchen and Camila is still at the school and Roberto Jr. has driven in from the wholesale side of things, I reach for something that scales easily, that satisfies without ceremony — something that tastes like the border, like home, like a kitchen that has been running for generations. These Cheesy Chimichangas are that dish: quick enough for a tired evening, sturdy enough for a crowded table, and rooted in the same Gutierrez-Hernandez cooking tradition that has fed this family through everything it has carried.
Cheesy Chimichangas
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes | Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 can (15 oz) refried beans
- 1 can (4 oz) diced green chiles, drained
- 6 large flour tortillas (10-inch)
- 2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese, divided
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil, for frying
- Sour cream, salsa, and sliced avocado for serving
Instructions
- Cook the filling. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef with the diced onion for 7–8 minutes, breaking the meat into crumbles as it cooks. Drain excess fat. Add the garlic, cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper and stir to combine. Cook one minute more until fragrant.
- Add beans and chiles. Reduce heat to medium. Stir in the refried beans and diced green chiles until fully incorporated and the mixture is heated through, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- Assemble the chimichangas. Lay a tortilla flat on a clean surface. Spoon roughly 1/2 cup of the meat filling down the center. Top with a generous handful of shredded cheese (about 3 tablespoons). Fold in the sides of the tortilla, then roll tightly from the bottom up, burrito-style, to seal. Secure with a toothpick if needed. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.
- Fry until golden. Heat the vegetable oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working in batches, place chimichangas seam-side down in the hot oil. Fry 2–3 minutes per side, turning carefully, until the exterior is deep golden and crispy all around. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
- Finish with cheese. While still hot, sprinkle each chimichanga with the remaining shredded cheese so it melts slightly over the crispy shell.
- Serve immediately. Arrange on a platter and serve with sour cream, salsa, and sliced avocado alongside.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 540 | Protein: 28g | Fat: 28g | Carbs: 44g | Fiber: 5g | Sodium: 820mg