Bakes chicken and spinach flautas

I've been on a pinterest recipe roll lately. I wish I was finding more recipes that don't require the oven. It's been blazing hot here and turning the oven to 450 degrees is only adding to the inferno. Last night I made the ever famous Crescent Pepperoni Rolls that have been raved about over on CafeMom. I was so amazed how easy and yummy they were! This definitely will be repeat, especially in the colder months. Tonight I decided to do some more baking. 85 degrees in the house yet I cranked up the oven to 450. Yes, I'm crazy I know. I love me some chicken flautas, but I hate how most of them are deep fried. Being on more of a health kick I wanted to find a recipe of my own. I just bought a bunch of chicken from Costco which I love because it comes divided into two chicken breasts in one packet and there are six to the whole set. I used chicken breast instead of thighs to make baked chicken and spinach flautas. I was impressed with these little things. They were tasty although I would do a few amendments. I think I would do 1/2 tsp of the spices instead of 1 tsp and probably omit the salt. It was all a bit much w/ the spices. The combination of the spinach and jalapenos was nice. I was glad to stumble across this blog because I've tried to make a quick shredded chicken and didn't think about simmering it in broth first.

My other suggestion is making 8 minutes per side instead of 10 minutes. They had a nice crunch to them but were harder than I'm used to. Some of them were a little smokey coming out of the oven too. Anyway, here is the recipe! Enjoy!

Baked Chicken and Spinach Flautas

Yields 10 flautas
Prep Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 45 minutes

Baked flautas stuffed with seasoned, shredded chicken, spinach, and cheese are crispy, but don’t have the greasiness of fried versions. 

To shred poached chicken easily, put it into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on medium for 45 seconds. Store-bought rotisserie chicken can be substituted for the poached chicken to save time. 

You might also like Baked Buffalo Chicken Taquitos. 

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless, skinless Chicken Thighs (about 4)
• 16 ounces Beer (or chicken broth)
• 2 cups Water
• 1 teaspoon Paprika
• 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1 teaspoon ground Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
• 1 Jalapeno Pepper, minced
• 3 cups Baby Spinach, chopped
• 5 burrito-size Flour Tortillas (9 inches)
• 6 ounces Queso Quesadilla or other melting cheese, shredded
• 1 tablespoon Olive Oil, or cooking spray
• Salsa, for serving

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 450*F.
2. Put the chicken thighs in a deep sided saute pan and cover with the beer and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the chicken from the liquid and shred it. Mix together the chicken and seasonings.
3. Pour out all but 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid. Add the jalapeno and spinach and cook over low heat until for 2-3 minutes, or until the spinach is wilted.
4. Cut the tortillas in half. Spoon 1/10th of the chicken (about 1 tablespoon) along the long edge of a tortilla. Repeat with the spinach and cheese. Roll the tortilla up, starting with the straight edge. Place seam-side down on an oiled baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
5. Brush the flautas with olive oil or spray with cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes, then turn them over and bake for until 10 minutes, or until crispy. Serve with salsa.

Each flauta has approx. 180 calories, 9 grams fat, 6 grams carbs, 1 gram fiber, 18 grams protein