Baked Chicken Chimichangas

I love chimichangas. I love my favorite jeans too. And I miss them right now. In an attempt to cut some calories, I am featuring this baked-not-fried version of the traditional chimichanga. I'm not sure how much it's really going to help with all of the eggnog and fudge that I'll probably consume over the next few weeks, but at least for one meal we can feel a little less guilt. Plus, these are really good!

Begin by combining 2 1/2 cups shredded chicken breast, 1 cup of salsa, 1 small chopped onion, 3/4 teaspoon cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon of oregano in a skillet.


Stir and simmer until the mixture is heated and most of the liquid has evaporated.


Place 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture in the center of a tortilla and top with 2 tablespoons of reduced fat cheddar cheese.


Fold in the ends of the tortilla and roll them up. Place the chimis seam side down in a baking dish. Bake them for 15 minutes at 425 degrees. This gives the shell a nice little crisp so that you can pretend they're fried like "real" chimichangas.


While the chimis are baking, make the sauce. Simple and fat free; it's flour, broth, chicken bouillon, fat free half and half, and green chilies.


Mix the fat free half and half and flour until smooth.


Bring 1 cup of chicken broth to a boil with 2 teaspoons of chicken bouillon granules and a little pepper. Stir the half and half mixture into the boiling chicken broth.


Cook and stir until thickened.

Stir in one 4 oz. can of chopped green chilies.



Serve the chimichangas topped with the delicious, creamy sauce. You don't even miss the fat...really.


Baked Chimichangas

2 1/2 c. cooked, shredded chicken breast
1 c. salsa
1 small, chopped onion
3/4 t. cumin
1/2 t. oregano
6 warm flour tortillas
3/4 cup reduced fat shredded cheddar

Simmer the first 5 ingredients until heated and most of the liquid has evaporated. Place 1/2 cup of the mixture on each tortilla. Top with 2 tablespoons of cheddar. Roll up. Place seam side down in a baking dish. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.

Sauce:
Boil 1 cup of chicken broth, 2 t. chicken bouillon granules, and a little pepper.
Combine 1/4 c. flour and 1 c. of fat free half and half until smooth. Stir into the broth. Cook and stir until thickened. Add 1-4 oz. can of chopped green chilies.

1 Chimichanga with 1/4 cup of sauce = 423 calories, 9 g fat, and 7 g fiber. That's 8 points for all of you Weight Watchers.

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