#845: Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

This was a "I-don't-know-if-my-family-will-eat-this" recipe that I figured I'd take my chances at when serving. 

I made this the night before and just had the taquitos rolled up in the fridge so we could pop it in the oven when we got home from work.  It was actually quite easy to assemble.  My family isn't a fan of chunky vegetables or cream sauce, so I cut down on the amount of cream cheese and put everything except the chicken and the shredded cheese in a blender and pureed the salsa/cream cheese so it wasn't chunky at all. 
 
I only had 1 1/2 cups of shredded chicken so I made 8 taquitos out of this dish. I also used red salsa instead of green.  I would have really been pushing my luck with green salsa!

My family loved this.  Chloe was probably the least happy with this meal but she still ate it.  Brian only questioned "what that green thing was" (cilantro) after dinner was done.  I told him I pureed it into the salsa JUST for THAT reason.  :)  Allison even ate some of what Brian was going to take for leftovers the next day for lunch.  Success!

1/3 C (3 oz) cream cheese (I used 1 oz of reduced fat)
1/4 C green salsa (I used about 1/2 cup red salsa)
1T fresh lime juice
1/2 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/4 t granulated garlic, or garlic powder
3 T chopped cilantro
2 T sliced green onions
2 C shredded cooked chicken
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese (I used 1/3 cup)
6-inch corn or flour tortillas (I used 8 tortillas)
nonstick cooking spray
kosher salt

Heat oven to 425F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray it lightly with cooking spray.

Heat cream cheese in the microwave for 20-30 seconds so it’s soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro, green onions, chicken and pepper jack cheese.

Wrap 3-4 tortillas at a time in damp paper towels and microwave for 20-30 seconds so they are soft and pliable. If you find your tortillas are cracking when rolled, use damper paper towels and increase the microwave time.

Place 2-3 tablespoons of the chicken mixture (I used 1/8 cup for each) on the lower third of each tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges, and then roll up.

Place seam-side down on the baking sheet in a single layer. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray. Sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt on top. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.