Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

From Our Best Bites

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

Yields 12

These taquitos are an all-time reader favorite, and it's so easy to see why. Pair it with our Creamy Lime Cilantro Dressing for a fantastic Latin dish!

Ingredients

1. 1/3 cup (3 oz) cream cheese (low fat is fine, avoid fat free)
2. 1/4 cup green salsa
3. 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
4. 1/2 teaspoon cumin
5. 1 teaspoon chili powder
6. 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
7. 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic, or garlic powder
8. 3 Tablespoon chopped cilantro
9. 2 Tablespoon sliced green onions
10. 2 C shredded cooked chicken (for extra yumminess, use grilled taco chicken!)
11. 1 C grated pepperjack or plain jack cheese
12. small flour or corn tortillas
13. kosher salt
14. cooking spray or olive oil

For the filling

1. Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it's soft and easy to stir.
2. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and granulated garlic.
3. Stir to combine and then add cilantro and green onions.
4. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.
5. (You can prepare up to this step ahead of time. Just keep the mixture in the fridge.)

For the taquitos

1. Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.
2. If using corn tortillas, work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave, wrapped in damp paper towels until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If using flour tortillas straight from the fridge, it helps to warm them in the microwave so they're easier to roll.
3. Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1 inch from the edges. Roll up tortillas and place seam down on a baking sheet, not touching one another. Spray lightly with cooking spray, or lightly brush with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with kosher salt. Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before serving. Dip in sour cream, or our favorite: Creamy Lime-Cilantro Ranch.

For the freezer instructions

1. Prepare the taquitos through rolling them out and placing them on the baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the freezer and freeze until solid, then transfer to a large freezer bag. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 425 and place the taquitos on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.

By Our Best Bites

3 Minute Italian Salad Dressing

From Our Best Bites

3-Minute Italian Dressing

Quick and easy Italian vinaigrette that is THE BEST marinade ever for grilled chicken or vegetables

Ingredients

1. 1/4 cup white vinegar
2. 1/4 cup lemon juice
3. 2 teaspoons sugar
4. 1 teaspoon dry mustard
5. 1 teaspoon kosher salt
6. 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (this really doesn’t add much heat; it’s better with it!)
7. 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
8. 4 cloves garlic
9. 1 cup neutral oil or extra-virgin olive oil
10. 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese (either fresh or from a can)
11. 3/4 tsp. Italian seasoning (add more if needed)

Instructions

1. Place vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, mustard, salt, red pepper flakes, black pepper, and garlic in the jar of a blender and blend until smooth. While the blender is running, add the oil in a steady stream. Remove the blender jar from the blender and mix in the cheese and Italian seasoning by hand. Transfer to a storage or serving container and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

By Our Best Bites

Berry Poppyseed Vinaigrette

I love this salad dressing! I want to be able to search it seperately. It's yummy! Be sure to try it.

Berry Poppy Seed VinaigretteRecipe by Our Best Bites

1/2 c. white wine vinegar
1/2 c. honey (or sugar)
1-2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon grated onion
1 tsp. kosher or other coarse salt
About 10 cracks of freshly ground black pepper
1 c. raspberries, blackberries, or strawberries
2/3 c. canola oil
1 1/2 tsp. poppy seeds

Combine the vinegar, honey, garlic, onion, salt, pepper, and berries in the jar of a blender. Blend until smooth and then, with the blender running, add the oil in a steady stream. Turn off the blender and whisk in the poppy seeds. If possible, refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

Grilled Chicken and Berry Salad

We recently spent time with the Gasser family and Carolyn served Grilled Chicken and Berry Salad from Our Best Bites. It was fantastic!

Grilled Chicken & Berry Salad

Recipe by Our Best Bites, Inspired by the Pigtailed Red-Head of Hamburger Fame

Grilled Chicken & Berry Salad
1/2 head Romaine lettuce, washed and chopped into bite-sized pieces
6-8 oz. baby spinach
12-16 oz. chicken, marinated, grilled and sliced*
8 oz. strawberries, sliced
8 oz. blueberries
4 oz. crumbled Feta or shredded fresh Parmesan cheese
1 c. sliced almonds, toasted
Berry Poppy Seed Dressing to taste

For serving a large crowd, toss all the salad ingredients in a large serving bowl and add dressing to taste. For individual servings, arrange ingredients on plates and serve the dressing on the side. Makes about 8 side dish servings and 4 main dish servings.

Berry Poppy Seed Vinaigrette
1/2 c. white wine vinegar
1/2 c. honey (or sugar)
1-2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon grated onion
1 tsp. kosher or other coarse salt
About 10 cracks of freshly ground black pepper
1 c. raspberries, blackberries, or strawberries
2/3 c. canola oil
1 1/2 tsp. poppy seeds

Combine the vinegar, honey, garlic, onion, salt, pepper, and berries in the jar of a blender. Blend until smooth and then, with the blender running, add the oil in a steady stream. Turn off the blender and whisk in the poppy seeds. If possible, refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

Sunday Morning Quiche

This is my favorite recipe for quiche. I love to create different additions for the quiche.

Sunday Morning Quiche

1 unbaked 9" pie shell
3 large eggs
1 cup grated cheddar or swiss cheese
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
1/4 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
3/4 cup chopped, cooked ham, crab or shrimp
1 tablespoon green pepper or celery

Mix eggs, cheese and milk. Stir in remaining ingredients and pour into the pie shell. Bake at 450 degreese for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for 10-15 minutes until light brown and knife stuck in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

Serves 6.

I like to add spinach or asparagus. Leave out the meat and add extra cheese. Be creative and try different mixtures.

Chicken a la King

This is an old favorite...

Picture from Taste of Home

Chicken a la King 

(Creamed Chicken or Turkey)

4 Tablespoons butter

4 Tablespoons flour

2 chicken bouillon cubes

2 cups water

2/3 cup milk

2 cups diced, cooked chicken

2 ounces (1/2 cup) sliced mushrooms

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Blend in flour until smooth. Gradually stir in bouillon. Cook and stir until thickened and smooth. Stir in milk, chicken, mushrooms, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Serve over noodles, rice, toast or biscuits.

Serves 4.

Brattans Clam Chowder

Curtis recently went clam digging at Long Beach, WA. He was excited to go to the first clamming of the season in Long Beach. He dug up 17 clams and brough them home to Grandma Brinkerhoff's house to share. Curtis likes to lightly batter them and broil them and serve them with tartar sauce.

Grandma Brinkerhoff shared this recipe for clam chowder with us. It is from Karen Noel. And, is one of her family's favorites.

Bratten's Clam Chowder

1 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup finely chopped celery
2 cups finely diced potatoes
2 cans (6  1/2 oz.) minced clams and juice
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup butter
1 quart Half and Half
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons white pepper
(Buy extra clam juice)

Drain clean juice and pour juice over vegetables in a sauce pan. Add enough water to barely cover (use extra clam juice, as desired.) Simmer over medium heat until barely tender. In another saucepan, melt butter, add flour and blend, stirring constantly.

Add Half and Half. Cook and stir with wire whip until smooth and thick. (Important.) Add undrained vegetables and clams.  Heat through and season with salt and pepper. Stir constantly because chowder tends to stick on the bottom.

Chill uneated portion.

Reheat on low in microwave or on the stove. Add extra clam juice, as necessary.

Serves 8-10.

Maple Cider Vinaigrette

We have made the Super Salad several times and we LOVE the salad dressing! So, I wanted it to be posted by itself, so that I could search it and read it by itself. So, here it is...just for me!

I have been wanting to buy this salad dressing bottle from Amazon.com, 

so I thought that this would be the perfect place to add a link to it. Score!

Maple-Cider Vinaigrette

1. 1/3 cup cider vinegar (if you can, use something murky like Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar)
2. 1 green onion, trimmed about 1" on top and the "hairy" root end on the bottom
3. 1 teaspoon Creole or mild coarse grain mustard
4. 1 teaspoon kosher salt
5. A few cracks of fresh black pepper
6. 2/3 cup real maple syrup (Experiment with using a bit less.)
7. 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (I use our garlic olive oil)
8. Instructions
   1. In the jar of your blender, combine the vinegar, onion, mustard, salt, pepper, and maple syrup. Blend until smooth. With the blender running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Set aside.
   2. In a very large bowl, combine the broccoli, kale, cherries, and sunflower seeds. Drizzle about 3/4 of the dressing onto the salad and toss to coat evenly. Add more dressing if desired. Refrigerate for up to 24 hours.