Mexican Villa Fake-out: Home-made Burrito Enchilada-Style

 

Let's start with a HUGE Thank You to Jamie D who read my original post about our hometown Mexican Villa and sent me a taste-alike recipe from the 'net for The Villa's enchilada sauce. Like Springfield-style Cashew Chicken, The Villa is a Springfield original, it's ours, and we're wild about it!

Using Jamie's sauce I created our own Burritos Enchilada-Style last night and we loved them. In a private email Jamie had said "When the chili seasoning hits the sauce your nose will know it's The Villa."  Yup, sooooooooo true!  Not that we won't be ordering from the restaurant itself anymore but it is a nice home-style meal as well that I got a huge kick out of creating. It will be fun to make it for friends or family sometime and see if I can fake them out.

TASTE-ALIKE MEXICAN VILLA BURRITOS ENCHILADA-STYLE

 

 ENCHILADA SAUCE

• 3 TBSP butter
• 2 TBSP all-purpose flour

• 1/2 tsp brown sugar
• 2 tsp of  Williams chili seasoning packet 

 1 14.5 oz can beef broth

 

 DIRECTIONS:

In a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and whisk in flour until thoroughly combined. Cook, continually whisking, for 2 minutes.  Slowly add beef broth, continually whisking until all is mixed in. Add brown sugar, and chili seasoning.  Continually whisk until sauce bubbles and thickens. Take off heat immediately.

This is enough sauce to cover 2 burritos but not as generously as The Villa. Recipe can be doubled for more generous saucing plus extra to make cheese dip. 

CHEESE DIP:

To make cheese dip use a ratio 1:1. One part sauce to 1 equal part grated white American or Monterrey Jack cheese whisked together for cheese dip.

 THE BURRITOS

  1 lb. leanest ground beef

• 1 Med onion, diced.

•  1 Tbsp Olive or canola oil
• rest of the William's chili seasoning
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• Salt/pepper
• 16 oz can fat free refried beans
• 2 Largest burrito-sized Tortillas
• 2 cups reduced fat white american or monterrey cheddar shredded, divided
•  
•  Garnish: chopped lettuce, chopped tomatoes, hot sauce, and/or salsa.

Directions:

 

1.  In a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat, saute diced onion in oil until translucent, add ground beef and saute until well done. Drain.  Add chili seasoning, sugar, and salt/pepper to taste. Set aside

 

 

 

2.  Lay out the two tortillas side by side, along with the ground beef, beans, and cheese.  Layer, starting with a half can each of the beans per tortilla, 1/2 cup cheese per tortilla, and half the bround beef (approx 1 1/3 cup each). 

 

The trick is getting them into the cooking sprayed casserole dish.  Gently fold each of the sides in, overlapping. Pick each one up with both hands: fingers on top holding the flap closed and thumbs spaced out supporting the bottom. Lift straight up and over the dish, then quickly turn upside down and place seam side down. 

 

 

3. Pour sauce over casserole dish.  Sprinkle over remaining cup of cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes (if ingredients are still warm) or 50-60 minutes if casserole was prepared earlier and placed in fridge.  Or until edges are bubbly and cheese is nicely browned.

 

If desired, garnish with chopped lettuce and tomatoes, serving rooster or other hot sauce or salsa on the side.  Serves 4 (Serves 4 as a Villa "split" or serves 2 for a whole burrito per person)

Nutrition per serving (casserole divided by FOUR):  Calories:  594;  Protein: 43;  Carbs: 46;  Fat: 27;  Fiber: 7: Weight Watchers Points:  15

That's for ONE HALF of a Burrito Enchilada-Style made MY way using extra extra lean ground beef, reduced fat cheese, and no fat refried beans....when you calculate the numbers in your head for the full burrito without the reduced fat everything, don't break into tears like I just did. :-)

So Yummy!

Thanks again Jamie!

 

 

Comments

[Jamie]

I am so very glad you enjoyed the recipe Glenna. I had never used the brown sugar, however after reading and seeing pics of your creation I have no choice but to now run up to Mexican Villa west, purchase a big bag of chips (that only the villa gets perfect) and whip up some cheese dip. :) I am glad you enjoyed, Glenna again I love this blog!

[Glenna]

Thank you!!!!
So yummy!
I use a bit of brown sugar in anything I make with tomatoes to round out the acidity and anything I use beef broth or chili seasoning in for the same reason. I've also wondered for a long time if The Villa doesn't add a little of the sweet sauce to the ground beef. I love the sweet sauce I always think I'm tasting a hint of it in any of their ground beef dishes.

It's just a subtle personal thing.

[Nicki Glancy]

I can't wait to try this Glenna! I've been wondering about a recipe for the Villas cheese dip for a while. Oh I agree with you about the sweet sauce in the ground beef I've always thought that too. Did you know you can buy their sauces at Price Cutter?

[Glenna]

Jamie--totally agree about the chips!
Also, I figured something out about that, too, a while back. I'd get the chips but even if I stored them in a ziploc baggie, they'd be slightly stale the next day. I figured out that all you have to do is reheat them in the microwave and they crisp right back up. Mahvelous, Dahling! In my Nuker, it's 55 seconds for one of the small individual-sized bags. You have to be careful because too long will burn them. I figured it out by starting with 40 seconds and then checking and renuking for an extra 10 seconds until they're back to crisp--YUM!

Nicki--Cool! I'm not crazy (well, about that!) I didn't know you could buy their sauces. Inn the "Missouri" section or with the other Mexican foods?

[Jamie]

Okay girls, From what I can recall when working at the villa years ago, in the sanchos and burritos they use a specialty burrito sauce (sold at price cutter or any villa) and you can substitute this well with a bit of of the fluid from a can of rotell. For me the villa has only two menu items I have yet to find any other that rivals them. First the rice, I love it and I simply can not replicate it. Second, villas chili rellenos. When the cream sauce hits the rice it is just divine. Nicki thanks for letting Glenna know about the price cutter sauce section. Glenna thanks for the microwave trick... I had always used the oven to crisp old villa chips. Just a side note, Glenna may I infer from the Mahvelous, Dahling comment you are a fan of Ab Fab? I loved that show :) (oh and I would love ANY help with a villa rice or cream sauce knock off) Take care!

[Glenna]

Hmmm....rotell--awesome tip! Any idea about the sweet sauce? The oven or toaster oven is a great way to crisp the chips too. You can probably see it better but the microwave is faster once I figured out the times on mine. LOVE their chips!

You know, I don't think I've ever had the chili rellenos--will have to try them from that review!

And nope, have heard great things about AbFab but I was actually showing my age. Was doing Billy Crystal from SNL a billion years ago.

[Kay - Buy Cute Aprons]

Hmmm I don't think I can get the seasoning here in Canada- but I will play with the recipe and see if I can find a Canadian substitute .

[Parker]

They now sell their sauces online @ mexicanvilla. Net! Thanks for recipe!

[Heather Tanner]

My stomach is rumbling now!! I will have to try this for supper tonight see if it can tide me over until I can get back home. Thank you very much!

[lee m.]

Hi Glenna, I tried out your recipe with a couple of tweeks. I use Mexican Chihuahua cheese instead of the standard ones, and I added 1/4 pound of that same cheese, and a 1/4 pound of Velveeta to the enchilada sauce. Lo-cal it aint, but all of my roomies and co-workers are no paying me to make batches for them. Incidentally, I make them in batches of 8 very large burritos.

[carol]

it was horrible tasting. the worst. I wouldnt recomend this recipe to any one. I am a good cook by the way.

[Glenna]

Parker--Awesome!
Heather--I still love the villa but this is quick and easy!
Lee--Wow! You're ON it! Great job. I'll have to find that cheese.
Carol--So sorry you didn't care for it.

[savage]

Very good, just like mexican villa.

[Glenna]

Thanks! Now I'm hungry for it. Will have to make a grocery store run tomorrow!

[Homerjsimpson111]

only thing i dont like is the sauce recipie doesnt have the full ingredient list please fix this asap as i want to try it thank you!

[Glenna]

Thanks for letting me know. I'm not sure what happened because the beef broth usede to be there! But it's back--thanks so much for telling me.

[Homerjsimpson111]

3 TBSP butter
1/2 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp Williams chili seasoning
1 14.5 oz can beef broth is still all i see how much flour do i use?

[Glenna]

Grrrr....I don't know why Typepad keeps eating that part. It's showing up now: 3 Tbsp butter, 2 Tbsp flour, 1/2 tsp brown sugar, 2 tsp Williams Chili seasoning, 1 14.5 oz can Beef Broth......

[Misti U]

I have a friend that used to work there and she said instead of browning the burger in a skillet they have always boiled their burger to remove most of the fat. And they use a quick melt white american cheese.

[BK]

Any idea how to make the sweet sauce??? I looked online and they're not selling it over the web & we're not due in Spgfd until next year! :(

[BK]

The sauce is CLOSE, but the meat was disappointing. It was fun to try and still a tasty dinner. Thanks for sharing! (WIsh I would've ordered some sweet sauce!!)

[Mary Beth Ely]

I tried this recipe yesterday, and it was really good, not the Villa, but pretty dang close! I had to double up on the sauce to make it more like the Villa's. I use to work in the kitchen at Mexican Villa, and I have made a million of the burrito enchilada styles. First, I will say that YES there is a squirt of sweet sauce inside the burritos when made at the restaurant. The process goes, flour tort down, spread beans, spread beef, squirt sweet sauce on top of beef, cheese, fold and flip it over, put a big ladle of sauce on top, more cheese, goes in oven till bubbly, take it out, top with lettuce and tomatoes. Also, yes, the villa boils their hamburger, and yes, they definitely use white American cheese. So anyways, those are some tips from someone who use to work there and make them in the Villa kitchen. :)

You can buy bottles of the sweet sauce at any of the restaurants and at price cutters grocery stores, too. However, it is cheaper to buy it from the restaurant.

Another note: when I made tacos there, use same meat as for burritos, lettuce, tomatoes, white American shredded cheese, and sweet sauce. Now you can have a basket of 3 Villa tacos at home!

When I made the Villa's cheese dip for chips. There really was no set guide for how much cheese to use. I made a pan of the enchilada sauce and then simply added shredded white American cheese to the enchilada sauce till it had about the right consistency of ooey gooey goodness. :)

When I made their chips, simply cut corn tortillas into quarters and fried them in their deep frier, not sure what type oil they used.

[Glenna]

Thanks for the tips, Mary Beth!

[Brett]

Mexican Villa is the nectar of the Gods!

[Robyn]

So glad go have found this. I haven't been to Springfield since leaving college and crave Mexican Villa all the time. Their website says they use 100% vegetable oil. They boil and drain the meat and then it's chopped real fine. Use Mary Beth's suggestions and you can't go wrong. You can now buy all their sauces on their website for a very reasonable price. Maybe I'll make it back there someday for the real thing, until then, this will be a great substitute.

[Vickie Lee]

Here you go, Lucy

[JEdmondson]

BK, Im told by someone who worked for the MV Factory that the sweet sauce is simply V8 veggie juice and sugar, Im not sure of the ratio, but I would assume you would need LOTS of sugar maybe 2 parts sugar to one part V8......it does have some chunks in it so that maybe sauteed peppers......hope this helps!

[Teresa]

Any chance you have a recipe for their salsa? It is so good!

[michael duby]

Every time i see anything about Mexican Villa it reminds me of when my dad Norman duby worked there! He managed mexican villa east for 28 years! Some of you might remember him, he will be 82 in may and has never once given up any secrets! His lips are sealed like concrete when it comes to the fixins at the villa ! :-)

[kim]

I'm definitely going to try this soon, thanks

[Glenna]

That's so cool, Michael! Thanks for commenting. I think I do remember your dad!

[Glenna]

I don't have the recipe for the salsa, but I wish I did!

[Glenda Sharp]

Wow thank you so much i live in Springfield but it well be so nice to fix this at home to.