Chimichangas

I love using leftovers! This dish is super simple and uses all the weird bits of a whole rotisserie chicken that tend to go to waste, since you shred it in any case. The addition of warm Mexican spices give it a different twist and a completely different appearance as well! I run a knife down the sides of a mealie to loosen the kernels but you could also substitute this with frozen corn. I get store-bought tortillas – you can get low carb ones, flaxseed ones (for VERY low carb), or veggie-flavoured wraps nowadays as well, so chop and change according to your tastes and where you find yourself on the neverending spectrum of dietary fashions. If you have refried beans or want to add in red kidney beans, go right on ahead and give this recipe your own twist.

Ingredients

4 sprigs of spring onion
Splash of olive oil
Half a red or yellow pepper
1 clove of Garlic
1 tsp Oregano
1tsp Smoked paprika
1 tsp Cumin
3 fresh chillies (if desired)
4 cups cooked and shredded chicken
1 cup of corn
1 small bushel of fresh parsley
Half a cup of cream cheese
Grated cheddar cheese
12 flour tortillas
Salt & pepper to taste

Method:

Sautee the onions in the oil until cooked. Add in the peppers, garlic and corn, and cook for around 5 minutes on medium heat. Add the chicken, spices, chillies and parsley and cook the spices through. Remove from the stovetop. Add the cream cheese and stir through.

To assemble your chimichangas, put 2 tablespoons of the chicken mixture on a tortilla. Sprinkle cheese and more raw chillies (if you want some extra heat) on the mixture. Fold the edges over and roll to close the tortilla (so none of the chicken spills out).

Fry them in oil with the seam-side down and to seal it until golden brown, or alternatively brush the top of the rolls and put in a preheated 200 degrees Celsius oven until golden brown. The contents are cooked so these beauties don’t need much time in the oven.
Serve with a pico de gallo (tomato, onion and raw chilli salsa), sour cream, guacamole or any sides you want and enjoy!