Carnitas Mac and Cheese Burrito

Picture a griddled burrito, browned on the edges and steaming hot inside, when you take a bite, creamy mac and cheese and savory tender chunks of carnitas come oozing out of the magical tortilla pocket. That’s how I sum up the experience of eating this carnitas mac and cheese burrito! Carnitas is my favorite burrito filling, and mac and cheese is one of my all around favorite foods, so this was a dream match up for me. The mac and cheese is flavored with a hint of chipotle and onion. I think adds a lot to the overall burrito experience!

The inspiration for this recipe

Mac and cheese burritos must be a thing, but for some reason I had never had one or seen one anywhere. I saw an ad for a regular burrito and in my head the rice looked like pasta. That was all I needed to convince me to make this. I didn’t think much of this idea other than being a gimmick when I first thought of it, but after I made it, I realized it’s much more than that. The creamy mac and cheese added so much to this burrito! Normally the cheese is a background player in a burrito, but loading this one with mac and cheese brought it to the forefront.

Making the mac and cheese

Mix butter and flour to form a roux that will thicken the sauce. Add the milk, then the cheese. Pour the sauce on the pasta and toss to coat.

As you can see in the last photo, This mac and cheese tastes great in a bowl with burrito toppings like sour cream, pico, and carnitas. But if you want to take the next step and wrap the whole thing in a tortilla then continue reading.

Making the burrito

Mac and cheese goes into the burrito first to form the base. Then the carnitas, beans, salsa, and sour cream. Make sure you use foil just like at the burrito shop. This will help keep your burrito intact.

After you roll it up, make sure to toast it in a pan for a few minutes on each side. This will warm it all up and add a little texture to the tortilla itself. If you need help rolling a burrito, check out this guide.

Here is one more shot of it in a bowl.

I thought it was even better in the tortilla though!

So creamy! This burrito was oozing flavor.

Twists on the carnitas mac and cheese burrito

Put whatever you normally like in a burrito in here! Love it with grilled chicken, sounds good to me! Barbacoa or carne asada would be awesome too!

You could do this with boxed mac and cheese too if you wanted and it would still come out great!

If you love the idea of putting noodles in a burrito, check out my vietnamese bun burrito, or my pasta fagioli burrito!

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Carnitas Mac and Cheese Burrito

A burrito filled with mac and cheese instead of rice, and topped with carnitas, salsa, and sour cream.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Total Time50 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Mexican, Tex-Mex

Keyword: burrito, Mac and Cheese, Mash-Up

Servings: 8 burritos

Calories: 662kcal

Ingredients

mac and cheese

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 shallot diced
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups milk
• 12 ounces cheddar cheese
• 1 chipotle in adobo from a can diced
• 1/2 pound elbow pasta

burritos

• 8 tortillas
• 2 cups prepared carnitas
• 1 cup black beans
• 2 cups pico de gallo
• 1 cup sour cream

Instructions

• Add the butter to a pan and cook until melted. Stir in the shallot and cook for 3 minutes.
• Whisk in the chipotle and a little bit of the adobo sauce. Then whisk in the flour and cook about 3 minutes until it slightly darkens in color.
• Whisk in the milk and bring to a simmer, whisking often. You will notice it thicken slightly when it simmers.
• Remove from heat and stir in the cheese.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta al dente and strain, reserving a cup of pasta water. Add to a bowl.
• Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta and stir to combine. Add a little pasta water if needed to loosen it up.
• Add some of the mac and cheese to an oven safe baking dish. Top with carnitas and beans. Add more pasta. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and top with salsa and sour cream. Serve.
• Microwave a 10 or 12 inch tortilla for 20 seconds on a damp paper towel.
• Place a piece of foil on your work surface and put the tortilla on top. Add mac and cheese to the tortilla, then top with beans, carnitas, salsa, and sour cream. Wrap the burrito tightly and wrap the outside with foil.
• Place in a dry frying pan and lightly press. Cook about 3-5 minutes per side to lightly brown and heat through. Serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 662kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 100mg | Sodium: 1307mg | Potassium: 351mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 1148IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 492mg | Iron: 3mg