creamy chicken taquitos

 

There are certain blogs that not only do I droll over the food and pictures but, it is food that is translatable to my life.  Annie Eats always hits the mark for me.  Her recipes are always awesome and I love her monthly themes.  Both of my cinco de mayo recipes came from her blog and they were both awesome.  Thanks Annie.  I made 2 batches (24) of these for book club and there was only 1 lone taquito left at the end of the night.  It was kinda sad.  I should have just eaten it.  Maybe I could not focus on the food because our book club spontaneously turned into a spray tan party in my friends kitchen.  What book club turns from talking about a book about abduction to eight girls getting spray tanned in a kitchen?  I had never had a spray tan.  The jury is still out.  I was seriously tan.  I looked like I went to Mexico for a week and took a cooking class outdoors learning how to make taquitos.  Not sure it is OK to be that fake tan.  It was silly and fun and I need lots of that in my day.  Maybe it was cinco de mayo.  Maybe it was the tequila.  Maybe it was just the fact that my girlfriends rock and when we are all together there is never a margarita left standing or a dull moment.

creamy chicken taquitos

source: annie eats

3 oz. cream cheese, softened

¼ cup salsa

1 tbsp. fresh squeezed lime juice

1 tsp. chili powder

½ tsp. cumin

½ tsp. onion powder

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tbsp. chopped cilantro

2 green onions, chopped

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

1 cup shredded Mexican cheese

10-12 6-inch flour or corn tortillas

Cooking spray 

Kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 425˚ F.  Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, salsa, lime juice, spices, cilantro, green onions, chicken and shredded cheese.  Mix thoroughly until well combined.

Briefly heat the tortillas in the microwave to make them soft enough to roll easily, about 20-30 seconds.  Place a tortilla on a work surface.  Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of the filling mixture down the left third of the tortilla.  Roll the tortilla up tightly around the filling.  Place seam-side down on a baking sheet.  Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling, spacing the assembled taquitos evenly on the baking sheet.  Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt.  

Bake 15-20 minutes, until crisp and golden brown.   Serve with sour cream and salsa, if desired.

(To freeze before baking, transfer the baking sheet to the freezer and chill the assembled taquitos 30-60 minutes.  Transfer to a freezer-safe container or plastic bag.  To bake from the freezer, simply add a few additional minutes to the original baking time, until the filling is warmed through.)