Meat, Bean and Cheese Chimichangas Recipe

While we have to eat to survive, our family loves to eat meals together around the table and enjoy delicious home cooked meals. We are creating traditions and memories with our kids and I love that they recognize that too. Food is a connective tissue to a persons family and culture. Thinking back on almost any part of my life there has always been food there, and that food triggers memories. I have been all over the country and tried different kinds of food, and I love to not only eat, but learn more about their culture and why they are the way they are. Western Union recently invited several people to share their stories about food, family and culture. The results prompted them to do something amazing. You can see the video here.

There is such a big cultural diversity among the people in this video, yet they all share the same things…a strong sense of family and their love of native foods. One of the most exciting and memorable things that a person can do to connect with other people is through food. Food is not just something that we can put in our mouth to fill our stomach and quench our appetite, but it is a powerful tool that can bring people and even nations together worldwide.

My time that I have spent just in and around my own neighborhood mingling with friends and neighbors has always involved food. In fact every memorable occasion that I have of getting together with other people has not been without a wonderful new treat to try or a new type of food to enjoy and indulge. I have had the opportunity to meet many people who have lived outside of the United States and have become very close to many of them through shared likes for places to eat and favorite foods. The truth is, when making friends anywhere in the world, the quickest way to friendship is through their stomach. I have never met anyone that will turn down a good home cooked meal and a night full of learning new customs, trying new foods, and making new friendships.

I love the Western Union video and it really touches my heart. Food brings so many good memories and emotions. One of our families favorite meals are Chimichangas. My kids love to help me make this Chimichangas Recipe and we always sit around the table and enjoy our meal together. They are really easy to make, and taste so yummy! Just take cooked ground beef, re-fried beans, a large can of green enchilada sauce, cheese and veggies as desired (onion, peppers, etc). Take a flour tortilla and spread a thin layer of the sauce. Then line the center with some of the beef, beans, cheese and veggies, then fold in the short edges and roll the tortilla and place seam side down in the dish. Repeat until your baking dish is full, then take melted butter and brush the tops of the tortillas. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until the tortillas are browned. Top with sour cream, salsa, and remaining green sauce.

This video has reminded me how important it is to connect with your loved ones and how influential food can be. Western Union is a great company and I love that they are located in so many places across the world. Many of their customers are not even from the place that they live. It is a great lifeline and connects people to their friends and families around the world.

I would love to hear your reactions to the video as well as your thoughts and feelings about how food connects people.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.