Baked Taquitos

Taquitos, not tequilas! (Look for suggestions on the latter in Mexican BBQ.) This latest and greatest recipe is also something I do when I don't feel like cooking. It's not as easy as my last post, Ben & Jerry's Chunky Monkey, but it does give me all the satisfaction of junk food, without the junk. And we could ALL use that on days we're feeling:

Phase 1 -

Stuff to get out...

• Crock pot.
• 2 large chicken breasts.
• 4 cloves garlic, pressed.
• 1 medium onion, sliced.
• 4 fresh tomatoes, quartered.
• salt and pepper to taste.

Take above ingredients --this is the non-cooking part--and throw them in a crock pot for hours on high--about four?--until chicken is tender. You can toss the chicken in frozen if you wish, it matters not. It all cooks down to something shreddable. When you can do this easily with a fork, that's when you'll know it's done. Mix it altogether after it's cooked.

Phase 2 -

More Stuff to get out...

• Canola oil.
• Corn Tortillas. My fav brand? Guerrero. How many is up to you. If I want to use up all the filling, and freeze the leftovers, I fry about 24 tortillas. If I don't feel like frying that many, I make 12 at a time, and freeze or save the chicken filling for later.
• Small Cast Iron skillet

In the small cast iron skillet:

Pour in enough oil to cover the skillet 1/4 inch, set burner on high. Quickly dip the tortillas in the hot oil, one at a time, flipping them over; you want them cooked, but pliable. (Add more oil as necessary.) Lay each tortilla on a paper towel after it's fried to soak up the extra oil. I fit two tortillas on one small rectangular paper towel, and stack them as I go, adding more paper towels as needed.

Phase 3 - 

Assemble:

Now comes the fun part. With a spoon, add a small amount of the chicken filling across the lower half of a soft-fried tortilla. Do not put in too much, you want the taquito to be thin, then tightly roll it up. Place taquito on an ungreased baking pan. Continue filling and rolling tortillas until you make the desired number you like. Do not cram the taquitos too close together on your baking pan. Leave just a bit of room between each so they can bake well.

Phase 4 - 

Bake

Preheat oven to 425.

Bake for about 20 minutes (check after 15). They should be golden brown.

Bling

If you like, sprinkle shredded cheese--sharp cheddar or jack--on top of the taquitos the last two minutes of baking.

I dip these in: Mango-Tango Salsa!; Wholy Guacamole; and/or refried beans. (Just blend up the pintos you made from, Slowly Back Away From The Can, and reheat.) If I'm feeling super lazy, I just dip them in a jar of Gringo Salsa!--aka apple sauce.

Suggestions

Need a fun dish for a large gathering or potluck? This is it. But make sure to double it. I would even pre-party by blending up margaritas and inviting a friend over early to help fill and roll taquitos ;)

Mmmmm...Now that's good eatin'!