Chicken Taquitos

Every time I see taquitos in the frozen food section, I think YUM! But then I make them and think "What was I thinking?" They are never very good to me. So when I saw these over at Annie's Eats I ran right out and got the stuff. And boy I was NOT disappointed. My only regret was that I didn't double the recipe. *They freeze you know! So next time I make these (like tomorrow!) I am going to double the recipe and stock my freezer for the quickest meal EVER! My boys loved these too, making them double fantastic!

Chicken Taquitos

(10-12 taquitos, 3-4 servings)

3 oz cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup salsa (I used homemade, but use whatever you love)

1 T fresh squeezed lime juice

1 t chili powder

1/2 t cumin

1/2 t onion powder

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 T chopped cilantro

1-2 green onions, chopped

2 cups shredded chicken (about 1 1/2 chicken breasts)

1 cup shredded Mexican cheese (I used cheddar)

10-12 6-inch (fajita size) flour tortillas

cooking spray

kosher salt

1/2 can corn, drained (optional)**
1/2 can black beans, rinsed and drained (optional)**

Preheat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, or spray with cooking spray

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

Briefly heat the tortillas until they are soft enough to roll easily. Place a tortilla on a work surface and fill with 2-3 Tablespoons of chicken mixture down the middle. Roll the tortilla tightly around the filling and place the taquito seam side down on the baking sheet. Repeat until all the tortillas are filled. Space them evenly on the baking sheet. Lightly spray the tops with cooking spray and then sprinkle with kosher salt. (This actually gives a great pop to these, so do not skip this step!)

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

*To freeze for later use, transfer the baking sheet to the freezer and chill the assembled taquitos for 30-60 minutes. Then transfer them to a freezer safe container or storage bag for storing. To bake them from frozen, simply add a few minutes to the original baking time, until the filling is warmed through

**We made these again and added one can of black beans and a can of corn (both drained), omitted the cheese, left the chicken the same and doubled the cream cheese and spices and it made twice as many taquitos!  We didn't miss the cheese at all and LOVED the corn and beans in them!