Creamy Chicken Taquitos

(great with queso blanco and guacamole!)

So yes, this is a terrible iPhone picture... but these taquitos are absolutely delicious and I wanted to share even without a nice, edited photo. These are far from the frozen, tasteless guys that you can pop in the microwave. 

These are:

 creamy

 full of flavor 

and can definitely constitute a meal. 

Plus because tortillas and pulled chicken are cheap, 

it's easy to make a large quantity all at once! 

And they're great for parties because they don't require utensils.

They're also healthier than the frozen/restaurant variety 

because these are baked instead of fried.

Have I sold you on them yet?

Definitely try these out, where or not you've got a fiesta planned for Saturday! 

What You'll Need:

• 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup green salsa
• 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice (juice from half a lime)
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 Tbsp chopped cilantro
• 2 Tbsp sliced green onions
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 1 cup shredded Mexican flavored cheese
• small flour or corn tortillas
• kosher salt
• cooking spray

What To Do:

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, salsa, lime juice, ground cumin, chili powder, onion powder and garlic. Once combined, stir in the cilantro and green onions. Add the chicken and cheese; mix thoroughly.

(If you decided to prep this in advance, refrigerate the mixture at this point until ready to continue.)

Working with a few tortillas at a time, heat them in the microwave between two paper towels until they are soft enough to roll (about 20 – 30 seconds).

Spoon 2-3 Tablespoons of the chicken mixture onto the lower third of a tortilla. Roll the tortilla as tightly as you can.

Place the rolled tortilla seam side down on the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tortillas until the mixture is gone. Make sure the taquitos are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle with kosher salt.

Bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until crisp and golden.

Serve with salsa, sour cream or guacamole.

**To freeze: Before baking, freeze the taquitos in a single layer on a baking sheet for about 20 minutes, then place in a labeled freezer bag and store up to 3 months. To bake a frozen taquito (no need to thaw first): Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and bake for 15-20 minutes.

Source: Pennies on a Platter, originally adapted from Our Best Bites