Baked Chicken Taquitos

I have made this recipe several times and I think I've finally worked out the quirks.  My family really loved the flavor, so I kept trying to figure out how to keep them from exploding.  It finally worked!

Enjoy!

Baked Chicken Taquitos (Adapted from Our Best Bites)

3 oz. reduced fat cream cheese
1/3 cup salsa verde
1/4 cup lime juice
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
3 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tbsp. chopped green onions
2 cups canned chicken
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
12 corn tortillas
cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and prepare a greased cooking sheet.  In a large bowl, combine everything except the tortillas.  Set aside.
Lightly cook the tortillas on a hot griddle, spraying with cooking spray before cooking.  ( I tried the microwave method multiple ways and times.  I never had good results until I started cooking them because it dried the tortillas out a bit.)
Place 2 tbsp. of filling on the bottom third of the tortilla.  Roll tightly.  Place on the cooking sheet with seam side down.  When the sheet is full, spray the taquitos with cooking spray.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Serve with your favorite dipping sauce:  guacamole, sour cream or salsa.

One tip:  I make extra filling and freeze it until I'm ready to make another batch.  Eventually I might try to freeze the pre-baked taquitos and see how they turn out.  Usually I'm rushing to just make enough for the meal at hand.

Cream of Chicken Soup mix

How many recipes do you have that uses condensed cream of something soup?  It seems like every casserole uses it and so I bet it is a staple of your pantry.  Shortly after we moved to this house, a sister at church shared this recipe to make your own.  So I tried it the next time I needed some and my family thought it tasted a lot better.  I was sold!  Now we're saving lots of money and eating healthier.

Cream of Chicken Soup Mix (equivalent to 8 cans)

2 cups nonfat dry milk

3/4 cup cornstarch

2 tbsp. dried onion

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. dried basil

1 tsp. dried thyme

1/4 cup chicken bouillon 

Mix thoroughly and store in air tight container.

To use:

Stovetop:  Mix 1/3 cup mix and 1 1/4 cup cold water in small saucepan.  Stir constantly over low heat until thickened.  Use as equivalent to one can of condensed soup.

Microwave:  Mix 1/3 cup mix and 1 1/4 cup cold water in medium bowl.  Heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring several times.  Use as equivalent to one can of condensed soup.

Copycat Pizza Hut Personal Pan Pizza

We love making homemade pizza at our house.  Ordering out is just too expensive and I have found some great recipes.  Most of my family likes a thin crust and I love a deep dish!  Making personal pizzas takes a lot of time, so I made a couple of the small ones for the thick crust lovers and a really big one with a think crust for the rest of them.

Overall, I was really pleased with the results and plan to try it again with whole wheat flour.  I like my pizza with some meat and lots of veggies.  I could only eat one piece because it was so filling.  I was very sad when one of the kids snitched my last piece before I could eat it for lunch the next day.

Enjoy!

From:  cdkitchen

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cup warm water (105 degrees F)
1/4 cup non-fat dry milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 package dry yeast
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (for dough)
9 ounces vegetable oil (3 ounce per pan)
butter flavored cooking spray
***Sauce***
1 can (8 ounce size) tomato sauce
1 teaspoon dry oregano
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
1/2 teaspoon dry basil
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

Directions:

Crust:

Put yeast, sugar, salt, and dry milk in a large (2 qt.) bowl.  Add water and stir to mix well.  Allow to sit for two minutes.  Add oil and stir again.  Add flour and stir until dough forms and flour is absorbed. 

Turn out on to a flat surface and knead for about 10 minutes.  Divide dough into three balls.  In three 9" cake pans, put 3 Oz. of oil in each making sure it is spread evenly.  Using a rolling pin, roll out each dough ball to about a 9" circle.  Place in cake pans. 

Spray the outer edge of dough with cooking spray.  Cover with a plate.   Place in warm area and allow to rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. 

Sauce: 
Combine ingredients and let sit for 1 hour. 

For Each Nine Inch Pizza:  Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.   Spoon 1/3 cup sauce on dough and spread to within 1" of edge.  Distribute 1 1/2 Oz. shredded mozzarella cheese on sauce.  Place toppings of your choice in this order: Pepperoni or Ham Vegetables Meats (cooked ground sausage or beef).   Top with 3 Oz. mozzarella cheese.   Cook until cheese is bubbling and outer crust is brown.