Creamy Chicken Taquitos

Two of my favorite activities are running and cooking. Unfortunately, when I get sick (which is hardly ever since I work from  home), those two activities suffer. I was able to take some time off work today and get some rest, which I really think helped a lot. I actually started feeling a little better this evening and started to get a little anxious to get back in the kitchen. Because I'm still not feeling 100%, I picked a pretty simple recipe and my husband also helped me fix dinner. :-)

I found this recipe on Pinterest (best website ever!) and we both loved it! As I mentioned, it was very simple to put together and really good! I just used a 12.5 ounce can of 97% fat free Chicken Breast... not quite the same as cooking some chicken myself and chopping it up, but we were going for quick and easy tonight. It still tasted great! I left them in the oven for 15 minutes and they had the perfect amount of crunch. We just had a side of refried beans with a little salsa mixed in to go along with the Mexican theme.

At first, we weren't sure whether we were supposed to use a fork or eat them with our hands, but we quickly figured out that it was much easier to just pick them up with our hands and eat them. This led me to think about how this would be great to have at a Super Bowl party (or any party)! They were so easy and so yummy. There is also a lot of room for creativity with this recipe. I had thought about how good it would be to add some yellow saffron rice to the filling. Go ahead and experiment!

That's about it for me tonight. Time to get some more rest and hopefully kick this cold to the curb! Make sure to also check out the food blog where this recipe came from - she mentions how to freeze these and heat them up right from the freezer. 'Night!

Creamy Chicken Taquitos
http://annies-eats.com/2011/04/27/creamy-chicken-taquitos/

Total time: 30 minutes  Yield: 12 taquitos

3 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup salsa
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp onion powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp chopped cilantro
1-2 green onions, chopped
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese
10-12 6-inch flour tortillas
Cooking spray
Kosher salt

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
2. 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.
3. 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 middle 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. (You may be tempted to skip the sprinkle of salt, but it really adds a nice touch.)
4. Bake 15-20 minutes, until crisp and golden brown. Serve with sour cream and salsa, if desired.