#10DaysofTailgate: Chicken Bacon Ranch Taquitos

So.

On Saturdays when we're home for football, J and I often have grazing-type meals with a hot dip, carrot and celery sticks, chips and salsa, and something sweet.  It's even better if the hot something can come out of the freezer to be reheated so there's no real work on Saturday morning before the 12 hour extravaganza that is college football Saturday begins.
These taquitos are perfect for tailgating:  the recipe makes a ton (I got 15 whole small tortillas), uses staples in our house, and are hand-held for snacking.  They'd even transport well wrapped hot in foil.  If you cut the tortillas in half before filling and rolling, they'd be a great appetizer that would serve even more.
When I made these the first time, we enjoyed them with a bowl of tomato soup, but you could also serve them with a salad or carrot and celery sticks as a quick dinner.
Quick, hand-held, delicious.  Who's ready for a football marathon?  From Six Sisters Stuff, I present to you now Chicken Bacon Ranch Taquitos:

Ingredients:
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
8 oz cream cheese
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 Tbsp ranch dressing mix
1-1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese
15-20 small tortillas
Oil, for brushing over filled taquitos
Method:
1.  Oven poach chicken in oven until tender and done, about 1 hour.
2.  Preheat oven to 425F.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, shred chicken with cooking liquid from the pan.  Add cream cheese, ranch dressing mix, cheddar cheese and bacon, mixing well.
3.  Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of the chicken mixture down the centre of a tortilla, before rolling and placing seam side down on a baking sheet.  Continue with remaining filling and totillas.
4.  Brush the tops of the tortillas with oil before baking at 425F for 10 minutes, or until golden.

Adapted from Six Sisters Stuff

Making the filling in the stand mixer meant it went together fast.  I used a mix of white and whole wheat tortillas that I unearthed from the top of my fridge.  I decided that seeing as I was planning to bake these and make them crispy, it wouldn't be a huge deal if they were a little dry to start with.

This I tried not to put too much in each tortilla, but you want enough that it's not all bread in a bite.

But don't those look pretty?  They were delicious.  J and I agreed that 2 were enough, if not a little too much.  I bagged the extras and froze them for future use - a quick rebake or zap in the microwave and you've got a snack perfect for tailgating, or any time!










Here's what everyone brought to the table today...

Starters

Chicken Bacon RanchTaquitos by Things I Make (for Dinner)

Cherry Chipotle Glazed Wings by A Day in the Life on the Farm

Firewired Pancetta-Wrapped Seafood by Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Mains

Maize and Blue Chicken Salad by Sew You Think You Can Cook

Savory Duck Handpies by The Not So Cheesy Kitchen

Slow Cooker Smoky Date Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures

Smokey Red Lentil Chili by Debbi Does Dinner Healthy

Thai Beef Skewers by The Pajama Chef

Sips

Apple Cherry Spice Cocktail by CafeTerraBlog

Dips

Kicked up Spinach Dip by Miss Laura’s Kitchen

Pizza Dip by Making Miracles

Sweets

Caramel Stuffed RiceKrispie Treats by From Gate to Plate

Peanut Butter &Chocolate Hard Pretzels by The Spiffy Cookie