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7/3/09

Chicken Chimichangas


When I was in high school my Mom was able to buy certain grocery foods in bulk through her place of work. On a whim she bought a large (very large!) container of frozen ground chicken. It was using this ground chicken that I 'made up' chicken chimichangas for my own family and then after high school when I married my husband I continued to make them using a large can of chicken as it was just the two of us and one large can of cooked chicken from Costco fed us. Now, with 3 teenagers we certainly don't buy that anymore but use cooked, chopped or shredded chicken that I grill or cook myself.

This recipe comes from my files. It's not the one I usually make but very similar and of course I ALWAYS tell my readers; Play with your food! Add and delete spices and ingredients that you know your family loves or hates.... make it your own!

Chicken Chimichangas

1 (16 oz.)jar picante sauce or salsa
7 cups chopped cooked chicken or canned chicken
1 small onion, diced
2 1/2 t ground cumin
1 t fresh minced garlic
1 t dried oregano
1 t salt
20 (8-inch) flour tortillas
3 c shredded Cheddar cheese
Serve with: guacamole, sour cream, shredded lettuce, diced tomato

Combine 1 1/2 cups of the salsa or picante sauce with the chicken, onion, cumin, garlic, oregano and salt. Microwave or cook in a saucepan with a lid covering for about 20 minutes. Place about 1/3 cup of the filling onto a flour tortilla and top with a mound of cheese (2-3 tablespoons). Fold in 2 sides of tortillas to enclose filling. Fold over top and bottom edges of tortillas, making rectangles. Secure with wooden picks. Place, folded side down, on greased baking sheets. Spray the chimichangas with cooking spray (like Pam) or brush with oil.

Bake at 425° for 8 minutes; turn and bake 5 more minutes. Remove picks; top with remaining picante sauce and serve with the delicious toppings.Print Friendly and PDF