BAKED CHICKEN CHIMICHANGAS

CINCO DE MAYO ENTREE:
BAKED CHICKEN CHIMICHANGAS




In honor of Cinco De Mayo, here is a great Mexican dish you will want to try soon.  The ingredients are simple, the process is easy, and the taste is great!

You may be seeing a lot more recipes with a Southwestern or Mexican flare in the coming months.  Olivia and I went shopping for flower and vegetable plants today for our gardens, and Olivia found quite a few interesting pepper selections.  I'm confident it will work out well for her and those who enjoy the food she makes.  She likes spicy food she is innovative at preserving overflowing produce, so I'm sure it will all work out well.

We had great fun shopping for plants today.  We went to a nursery in Ligonier, Indiana that has been family run for many years.  In addition to selling plants, they also have a restaurant and in the fall, they produce fun and innovative displays with pumpkins.  They fashion them in the likenesses of Presidents, cartoon characters, cultural icons, etc.  We took Olivia there when she was a toddler.  Today she and I traveled  there to buy plants for our gardens.  That is one of the many things I love about growing up, having a child, and living in the same state for many years.  We have gathered a treasure of great memories.  I thought about those today as Olivia and I explored the plants together, talked over flower combinations and choices, and, of course, explored the mind boggling array of peppers.

Whether you mark Cinco De Mayo with great Mexican food, gather together to celebrate a meal during upcoming Mother's Day, or plan your own vegetable garden, be sure to make a lasting memory with those you love.

- Nanette

BAKED CHICKEN CHIMICHANGAS

8oz pkg. cream cheese

8oz. Lightening Jack or Pepperjack cheese, shredded

1 1/2 Tbsp. taco seasoning

1 lb. cooked chicken, shredded  (I used one pint jar of homemade shredded chicken and it made five chimichangas.)

8 flour tortillas

cooking spray

shredded cheddar cheese

green onions, for garnish

sour cream

salsa

Stir together cream cheese, Lightening Jack or Pepperjack cheese and taco seasoning.

Fold in chicken.

Divide among flour tortillas.  Sprinkle A bit of cheddar cheese on top of the mixture on each tortilla.

Tuck in sides, and roll up each tortilla.  You may need to use toothpicks to keep the  chimichanga together.  (See the picture below.)

Lay seam side down on a cookie rack placed on a large cookie sheet.  Make sure you've sprayed the cookie rack.

Spray tops of tortillas with cooking spray.

Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Turn chimichangas over, and bake an additional 15 minutes.

Serve with cheddar cheese, green onions, sour cream, and salsa.