Chicken and Green Olive Taquitos

It was large batch taquito making this past weekend with turkey spinach taquitos and also these chicken and green olive taquitos.  Taquitos make great freezer meals and I try hard to always keep a supply handy for busy days when there’s no time for cooking or for when I need a quick last minute meal.  Unlike casseroles, it’s easy to take out just what you need, whether it’s just a few or the whole batch.  Every so often I’ll make a meal I know my husband and I will really enjoy, but not necessarily the kids and while I always encourage the kids to try whatever is being served, sometimes I’ll take a couple taquitos out for them as back-up.  These particular taquitos are inspired by some green olive enchiladas that I used to frequently make years ago, but had somehow forgotten about more recently.  Enchiladas are great, but taquitos are a bit less messy and more kid-friendly so I made a taquito version of those enchiladas with all of the same great flavors.  Lots of warm spices in these- chili, cumin, oregano, and a hint of cinnamon.   Secret ingredient here is a little dark chocolate that is melted into the sauce at the very end to give it some complexity and depth.  In the past, I’ve always struggled with natural corn tortillas falling apart and crumbling any time I tried to work with them.  I finally discovered these corn tortillas at Whole Foods however and they are much more pliable and easy to work with.  If you can’t find a good corn tortilla, any flour or multi-grain tortilla would be a good substitute.  Happy taquito-making!

Chicken and Green Olive Taquitos

• Yield: makes 24 taquitos

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoon chili powder
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 ounce dark chocolate, chopped
• 4 cups shredded cooked chicken breasts, about 3 breasts
• 1 cup green olives, sliced
• 8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• 24 6-inch corn tortillas
• olive oil for finishing
• coarse salt for sprinkling

Instructions

1. In a large saucepan or heavy pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Sauté until onions soften and start to become translucent, about 5-8 minutes. Add chili powder and flour and stir constantly for another 2-3 minutes. Gradually whisk in the broth. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring mixture to a boil. Continue to boil for 30 minutes or until liquid is reduced to 3 cups, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Set aside to cool.
2. Preheat oven to 400. Lightly oil a large baking sheet.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine chicken, olives, shredded cheese, and 1 1/2 cups of the cooled sauce.
4. Spoon about 3 tablespoons of filling onto the middle of a tortilla. Roll up taquito and place seam side down on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
5. Use a pastry brush to brush a light coating of olive oil onto each taquito. Sprinkle with coarse salt to finish.
6. Bake at 400 for about 25 minutes, until taquitos are lightly golden brown. Serve with the remaining sauce on the side for dipping.

Notes

To freeze, place each taquito on a baking sheet, making sure that taquitos are not touching one another. Freeze the whole tray for a few hours and then transfer the taquitos to a gallon-sized ziploc bag for storage.

inspired by Green Olive Enchiladas from Colorado Colore