I have had Picky Palates' cookbook sitting on my shelf for almost a year now. And I FINALLY got around to whipping up one of her recipes. Flipping through, this recipe jumped out at me - simple and would appeal to my whole family. But I wanted to spruce it up just a tad. My family likes a little kick to our Mexican food, so a touch of cayenne pepper was called for. After preparing it, I also thought about adding some black beans next time. That would make this a little heartier for dinner. Next time.
The dipping sauce is one of my recipes. It's the Avocado Dipping Sauce from my Southwest Egg Rolls. Adapted for this though, I used cilantro instead of parsley. It's a great pairing and had my kids begging for leftovers the next day for lunch.
Shredded Chicken Taquitos
(Adapted from The Picky Palate)
Ingredients:
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (10 oz.) diced tomatoes with green chilies
2 chicken breasts, boiled and shredded
3 Tbs. fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
10 flour tortillas
Cooking spray
Dipping Sauce:
2 avocados
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
3 Tbs. milk
2 Tbs. vinegar
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 dash of black pepper
Directions:
1. Add olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium high heat. Add bell pepper and onion. Saute for about 5 minutes or until onion begins to be translucent. Add garlic and saute for about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, chicken, cilantro, salt, cumin, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Stir over heat for about 3 minutes or until heated through. Remove from heat and add cheese. Stir until cheese is melted and incorporated.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray. Lay tortillas out. Spread 1/3 cup of filling on each tortilla and roll up tightly. Lay taquito on baking sheet, seam side down. Spray wrapped taquitos with cooking spray.
3. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the tortillas are crispy.
4. While taquitos are baking, prepare dipping sauce. Add all ingredients in a food processor. Mix until avocado is pureed and ingredients are incorporated. Pour into single serving bowls and serve with warm taquitos.
Serves 5