I’ve been wanting to get out of my lazy summer cooking funk and needed something to jumpstart the blogging/cooking mojo again. I’m part of an online cooking community and there was a recipe swap with Mexican theme for the week. I knew that I had to join and participate. It’s a great place to talk about the ins and outs of food. I’m inspired by fellow food bloggers, captivated by their foodie stories and pictures, and they introduce me to new dishes that I want to make.
My husband and I love Mexican food, it’s probably in our weekly menu once or twice a week…if we aren’t eating out enjoying it. I was totally eager to participate and see what lucky dish I would prepare. Eric and I have a vast amount of Mexican dishes that we love to enjoy and this dish was an instant win for us. We are normally enjoy tacos or enchiladas and we loved the healthy take of these chicken chimichangas from So Tasty, So Yummy.
I made a couple of minor changes because I thought I had everything in my pantry to prepare the dish, so take my advice and take full inventory on your pantry before you grocery shop. Also, fresh picked tomatoes from the garden made for a great addition. These baked chicken chimichangas are full of spicy flavor and totally freezer friendly if you make too much because you can always save the leftovers for another day.
Enjoy!
Baked Chicken Chimichangas
Adapted from So Tasty, So Yummy
Printable Recipe
Ingredients:
Chimichangas:
2 teaspoons Complete seasoning (Badia)
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1 6-ounce can diced green chiles
¼ cup chicken broth
6 to 8 (10 inch) flour tortillas
1 cup shredded Manchego cheese
cooking spray (Misto)
Deluxe Tomatillo Sauce
1 pound tomatillos, about 6 to 8
1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons cilantro, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
½ jalapeno, minced
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
Preparation:
In a small bowl add the spices and cornstarch together and mix until combined. In a Dutch oven over medium-low heat add the spice mixture, green chiles, tomatoes and chicken broth. Mix until combined, and add the chicken breasts. Cover and cook on low for 45 minutes. Shred the chicken with two forks and cook for an additional 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Grease a large baking sheet with misto or cooking spray.
In a large bowl, combine the shredded chicken with the Manchego cheese. Lay out the tortillas and top each with ⅓ of the chicken mixture. Roll up the tortillas burrito style, and place them seam side down on the baking sheet.
Spray the top of the chimichangas with the misto. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until slightly crisp.
While the chimichangas bake, prepare the tomatillo sauce. In a medium saucepan, combine tomatillos, chicken broth, cumin, lime juice, cilantro, garlic, jalapeno, salt and sugar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Puree until smooth with an immersion blender. Return to heat, stir in the sour cream and cook 3 minutes more until heated through.
Place a heaping spoonful of deluxe tomatillo sauce on the plate and place chimichanga on top. Top it off with shredded cheese, a drizzle of mexican crema, fresh diced tomatoes and chopped cilantro.
Review: Definitely a keeper in our weekly rotation, and maybe next time I’ll use pork shoulder for the protein. So Tasty, so yummy is a great way to remember this fantastic recipe swap!
