Shredded Chicken Flautas

I originally bookmarked this recipe a year ago, off of one of my favorite blogs Meal Planning 101. I thought this recipe would be a great choice for one of our "Friday Family Fun Night" meals; but for unknown reasons, I completely forgot about it. Then, it suddenly popped back into my head yesterday. Weird, I know! Thankfully, I did eventually remember it...because it was really great!!!

Shredded Chicken Flautas
Adapted From: the Meal Planning 101 website

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked shredded chicken (see notes)
1/2 cup chicken broth (see notes)
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp onion powder
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups shredded cheddar
8 whole wheat tortillas
cooking spray
salsa, sour cream, or guacamole (for toppings, if desired)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat add the chicken, water, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, onion powder and salt. Let this cook down for a few minutes until the sauce thickens and the chicken is heated through. Most of the water will evaporate and you will be left with a nicely coated saucy chicken. Remove from heat and set aside.

In the middle of a tortilla place 1/4 cup shredded cheddar. You want the cheddar to be in a line down the middle of the tortilla leaving about 2 inches from the edge on either side. Place 1/4 cup of the shredded chicken mixture over top of the cheddar. Fold in the two edges where you stopped 2 inches with the mixture. Tightly roll the bottom of the tortilla over the mixture and roll until you have a long, tight, burrito tube. Place seam side down on a baking sheet. Continue with the rest of the tortillas and filling.

Spray the tops of the flautas with cooking spray, and place in the oven. Bake for 8-12 minutes, flip them over and bake another 8-12 minutes. If necessary, turn on the broiler to get them extra crispy! Serve with salsa, sour cream and guacamole.

Jen's Notes:
I didn't have any precooked shredded chicken lying around, so I made my own during nap time yesterday. I took two chicken breasts and covered them with a chicken stock/water mixture in a pot (enough liquid to cover). Then, I partially covered the pot with a lid and boiled the chicken until cooked...about 10 minutes. I reserved the cooking liquid to use in the recipe; but just plain old water will work too, and was noted in the original recipe. After the chicken was cooked & somewhat cooled, I shredded the meat with two forks and stored until I was ready to cook dinner.

I didn't fold my flautas into little burrito shapes, but instead left the sides open...similar to taquitos. It worked out just fine, and I didn't lose any filling. One last note, I forgot to flip mine and cook for another 8-12 minutes. Instead, I cooked them for 12 minutes, and then turned on the broiler for a couple of minutes. Again, my change worked out fine...and it shaved some of the cook time off of this dish. (I guess not reading the directions thoroughly does pay off once in awhile.)



The Result:
Easy and delicious! I love the crispy texture that these flautas had, without frying. Ummmm...so good! This recipe is a keeper!