Tex-Mex Egg Rolls

By garciamoss

East meets Southwest in these loaded Tex-Mex Egg Rolls, the perfect party snack for your next gathering. Spice things up!

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground chuck
• 1 cup black beans
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup tomato salsa, homemade or store-bought
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• Salt, to taste
• 16 egg roll wrappers
• 1 avocado, sliced into 16 thin slices
• 16 pickled jalapeños
• 16 small slices of queso fresco, small enough to fit inside of jalapeno
• Canola oil for frying

Preparation

Step 1

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy skillet to medium heat, add the ground chuck and season with a pinch of salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin, and smoked paprika. Once nicely browned, add the onions and garlic and cook for 3 minutes. Add the salsa and stir well to combine. Taste for salt. Cook it, stirring often until most of the liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat and let cool, slightly.

For this next step, you may want to wear rubber gloves. Take the pickled jalapeños and cut the stems off, then with a small, sharp knife, clean the insides out and shake out excess liquid. Fill each jalapeño with a piece of queso fresco; set aside.

Set up you egg roll station. Fill a small bowl with water for sealing egg rolls. Lay one filled jalapeño diagonally on the bottom half, add 2 tablespoons ground chuck, then a thin slice of avocado. Add a little water to edges, carefully fold in the sides then roll up and seal with a little water. Repeat until all egg rolls are done, transfer onto plate.

Preheat 1½ cups of canola oil to medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes. When hot, carefully drop in 4 egg rolls at a time. Cook until golden brown, turning as needed. Line a bowl with paper towels and drain egg rolls upright after frying. Yields up to 8 servings. The Bomb!

NOTE:
I believe there were 20 egg roll wrappers per package, so it could make up to 20 egg rolls. They store well for a couple of days and reheat in the oven or on the stove top in a dry, nonstick skillet.