Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

OK, last night I needed to get back to working cleaning out stuff from the freezer. I had a stack of corn tortillas I've been meaning to get to. I ran across this recipe and I had never made taquitos before. These really came out nicely, a great crunch and really low-cal, low-fat! Oh, these will definitely be on the menu again. These would make a wonderful Super Bowl-type appetizer because they do keep their crunch for a long time (I ate leftovers a couple of hours after dinner and they were still crunchy). They're great finger-foods. You can use guacamole, sour cream, buttermilk dressing as a dipper. I used these as my entree and served them with Charro Beans and my favorite Spanish rice recipe (from Joy of Cooking, adding cilantro to the mix). I cut the recipe in half and this amount made 8 taquitos. We both ate two each at dinner, so The Girls got some leftovers, and I ate two later that night. So the recipe I'm listing will make approximately 8 taquitos.

BAKED CREAMY CHICKEN TAQUITOS

2 oz cream cheese (I used reduced-fat style)

2 Tbsp salsa verde

1/2 Tbsp fresh lime juice

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp (+) cumin (I like cumin)

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1 1/2 Tbsp chopped cilantro

1 green onion, chopped

1 cup shredded chicken

1/2 cup Mexican cheese mix (shredded in packaged-cheese section)

about 8 small corn tortillas (or few if using the larger flour version)

Cooking spray

Kosher salt

Soften cream cheese in microwave for about 30 seconds at 50% power. Stir in salsa verde, lime juice, and spices until well mixed, then add cilantro and green onions. Stir in shredded chicken and cheese and combine well (this can be made ahead of time and stored in the frig).

Preheat oven to 425. Line cookie sheet with aluminum foil sprayed with cooking spray.

Working with 2 corn tortillas at a time, briefly heat in microwave so they are more malleable and easier to work with (place a wet paper towel over tortillas and heat for about 25 seconds). Spoon 2-3 Tbsp of chicken mixture down the middle of the tortilla (maybe a bit closer to one end) and keeping it about 1/2" from the end or it will all melt out and burn. Roll up tightly. Place taquitos seam side down on cookie sheet, making sure they are not touching. Lightly spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with kosher salt (this makes all the difference!). Bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and edges start to turn golden brown.

Serve with your favorite salsa, guacamole, sour cream, or Buttermilk Dressing (see previous post).