Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

It used to be that when I roasted a whole chicken, we would eat it for dinner and then finish up the leftovers for lunch.  Lately though it seems like we have leftover chicken for DAYS when I cook a chicken.  Not sure of the exact reason for our reduced chicken consumption but it's brought me to relatively unfamiliar territory - how to use up leftover chicken.

I ran across this recipe from the-girl-who-ate-everything.com and it looked like a great way to disguise my leftovers into something new and delicious. 

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup (3 oz) cream cheese
• 1/4 cup green salsa
• 1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3 Tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 2 Tablespoons sliced green onions
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 1 cup grated pepperjack cheese
• about 12 small corn or flour tortillas (we liked flour better)
• kosher salt
• cooking spray

Get Must-Have Party Condiments & Recipes

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.
2. Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it's soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and garlic powder and mix well. Add cilantro, green onions, chicken and pepperjack cheese and combine well.
3. You can prepare up to this step ahead of time. Just keep the mixture in the fridge.
4. The corn tortillas are harder to roll without cracking. For the corn tortillas: work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. It helps to place them between damp paper towels. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If you find yours are cracking when you roll them or come unrolled right away, just try heating them longer and try the paper towel thing.
5. Place 3 Tablespoons of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges.
6. Then roll it up as tight as you can.
7. Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or an oil mister and sprinkle some kosher salt on top.
8. Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown. Makes around 12 taquitos.
9. Dip in salsa, sour cream, guacamole, or Tomatillo Dressing . They would be great with black beans and this Cilantro Lime Rice.

Read more at http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2010/04/baked-creamy-chicken-taquitos.html#SeOqkYHkBJX816zK.99

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup (3 oz) cream cheese
• 1/4 cup green salsa (I used green enchilada sauce instead.)
• 1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3 Tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 2 Tablespoons sliced green onions
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 1 cup grated colby jack cheese
• about 12 small corn or flour tortillas (we liked flour better)
• kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.







Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it's soft and easy to stir.






 
Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and garlic powder and mix well.

Add cilantro, green onions, chicken and cheese and combine well. You can prepare up to this step ahead of time. Just keep the mixture in the fridge.

Place 3 Tablespoons of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges.
















Then roll it up as tight as you can.  Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other.

Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.

Makes around 18 taquitos.

My family absolutely loved these!  I was super surprised but they ate every single one!!

Confession time - I didn't actually try one but if you take into account the empty plate that was left on the table - I'd say they were a hit.

I wasn't sure what to make with these taquitos so I threw together some black beans and rice.  It was super yummy and that recipe will be on the blog tomorrow - you don't want to miss it.

Ciao!