Chicken Taquitos

When I was younger, and did not know how to cook as I do now, I used to come home after school and prepare snacks for myself and my brother to tide us over until our mom came home for dinner. Usually this involved rooting around in the freezer for some pre-made item that I could stick in the oven and enjoy within twenty minutes. I remember one of my favorite things to make was chicken taquitos and I would often have three or four at a time.

Just the other day I prepared chicken stock for a soup I was making and I used chicken breasts in the process. Of course once I used the stock I was left with two chicken breasts and I wanted to use them up in a fun and creative way. At first I thought to make chicken enchiladas but then I came across a recipe for taquitos and I knew right away that I wanted to try it out. Best of all, I was going to stop by the grocery store to buy tortillas but my dad had spontaneously decided to purchase some only an hour prior while at Costco...obviously this recipe was calling my name.

I made the taquitos for dinner for myself and my brothers. Unfortunately I was a little too anxious and hungry while preparing the filling and this resulted in improper measurements. I wanted to use both of my chicken breasts, which actually came out to more than the two cups called for in the recipe, but I was too lazy to figure out exactly how much I was using. I guessed that it was three cups, so I used one and a half times the rest of the called for ingredients. In reality, I think I should have doubled the rest of the recipe because after tasting the taquitos I wish they had been more cheesy. Another problem I encountered was the fact that the tortillas I had were very large; obviously it allowed for more filling in each but it also meant extra rolling. This made the exterior wall quite bulky around the middle because it had about three layers of tortilla at its thickest point.

In the end, I still enjoyed the taquitos and so did my brothers. Because they were so large I could only manage to eat one, but I saved the rest to reheat the next day for lunch. The great thing about this recipe is that it can also be prepared ahead of time and then frozen; that way the taquitos become an easy meal option just like the ones sold in the freezer section of the grocery store.

Chicken Taquitos

• 4 oz (1/2 cup) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup salsa
• 1 lime
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp cilantro, chopped (about 1/4 of a bunch)
• 2-3 tbsp green onion, chopped (about 1 stem)
• 2 cups shredded chicken
• 1 cup shredded cheese
• Small tortillas, wheat or corn

1. Mix the cream cheese, salsa, and spices in a large bowl.
2. Stir in the cilantro and green onion.
3. Add the chicken and cheese and mix thoroughly.
4. Place the tortillas on a plate and in the microwave for 20-25 seconds so that they become soft enough to roll.
5. Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of the chicken filling onto the lower third of the tortilla and then roll the tortilla up as tightly as possible. Place on a baking sheet, covered with aluminum foil or parchment  paper, rolled-side down. Repeat with the remaining tortillas until all of the filling is used up.
6. Spray the tops of the taquitos lightly with cooking spray and then bake for 15-20 minutes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit or until the edges are crisp.

Note: If you want to freeze the taquitos, roll them up and then place on a baking sheet and stick in the refrigerator until cool. Once cooled, wrap each one individually in plastic wrap and then put all of them in a freezer bag and freeze. The taquitos can be baked straight from the freezer, don't unthaw, for 20 minutes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit.