Chicken Chimichangas

Football Sundays mean trying new recipes for me. After a search ~ I dug up this Chimichanga recipe from the Foodnetwork. These are really good! Thanks Emeril. I did adapt this a little bit and didn't totally fry them ~ mostly baked. And still very good! (I have to work on my food photography skills... the pics I took do this NO justice!!)

Chicken Chimichangas

Adapt from Food Network ~ Emeril Lagasse

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus 8 cups for frying (I omitted the 8 cups for frying & used a couple more TBSP to just crisp them a bit)
• 1/2 cup diced white onion
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 1/2 pounds cooked chicken breast, shredded while warm (I shredded the chicken by putting the chicken on a plate ~ salt & peppered a bit ~ a bit of buttermilk ~ microwaved for 8 minutes ~ worked perfectly)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
• 8 (10-inch) flour tortillas, warmed
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack
• Wooden toothpicks
• Chipotle Salsa (Emeril gave a recipe ~ I just bought some & it was great)
• Sour cream, for garnish (I used Greek Yogurt)
• Fresh cilantro sprigs, for garnish (Shredded lettuce instead)

Directions

Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add onions and saute until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder, oregano, and cumin and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the shredded chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the green chiles. Cook mixture for about 5 minutes, or until heated through. Set aside and cool slightly.

One at a time, place the tortillas on a work surface, keeping the remaining tortillas covered with a damp towel. (For pliable tortillas, sprinkle lightly with 1/4 teaspoon water and cover with a damp paper towel. Microwave for 10 to 20 seconds just before ready to stuff, and keep covered until ready to roll.) Spread 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture in a rectangle in the center of the tortilla. Sprinkle with 1 to 2 tablespoons of cheese. Fold the bottom of the tortilla over the filling and then fold the sides over. Fold the top of the tortilla over the folded sides and secure the sides with wooden toothpicks. Place folded side down.

Heat the remaining vegetable oil in a deep stockpot or deep fryer to 360 degrees F. Using tongs, lower the chimichangas folded side down, 1 at a time into the hot oil. (It is helpful to hold the chimichanga with the tongs until it has "sealed" together.) Cook until golden brown on all sides, about 3 minutes. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate and continue with remaining chimichangas. I totally altered this part of the recipe. Instead I put a TBSP of oil in the pan, just put each side of the enchilada in for 1 minute or 2 to crisp. I put them on a baking sheet as done and baked at 350 for about 15 minutes or so to heat through and ensure the cheese was melted inside.

Remove toothpicks from the chimichangas and serve immediately with Chipotle Salsa, sour cream, and fresh cilantro. (Again I used Greek Yogurt & Lettuce.)