Saturday, February 1, 2014

Quick and Easy Taquitos

I love making potato and/or ground turkey taquitos!  I first tried this at my MIL house and even though hubby is sort of ambivalent towards these, every now and then I just have to make them, if only for myself.

If you need an easy, go-to recipe for a crowd and you are on a budget, this recipe is easy to tailor to suit your favorite meat eaters, a group of vegetarians, picky teens and adults and everyone in between.

I've got 4 different filling ideas for these yummy taquitos, though you can always do combinations of each.  My two favorites are the potato and cheese and the ground turkey and refried bean mixture.

Taquito Basics:
24-36 corn tortillas ($1.39)
1 to 2 C. shredded cheese ($1.50)

Ground Turkey Filling:
12oz. ground turkey ($1.00)
1 small onion, minced ($.10)
3 cloves garlic, minced ($.05)
1 tsp. each: oregano, garlic powder, and onion powder ($.05)
1/2 tsp. each: paprika, chile powder, salt, and pepper ($.05)

Brown turkey in a nonstick skillet with all other ingredients.  Drain and cool 5 minutes.

Potato Filling:
2-3 medium sized russet potatoes ($.50)
pinch of salt
1 T. cream cheese ($.10)
1 T. butter ($.10)

Boil unpeeled potatoes until just fork tender.  Drain and cool.  Peel potatoes and lightly mash with all remaining ingredients.

Refried Bean Filling:
16 oz. can refried beans ($.75)
2 T. shredded cheese ($.10)
1/8 C. salsa ($.15)

Mix well all ingredients and microwave on high for 45-60 seconds, until mixture is warm through and stirs easily.

Chicken Filling:
2 C. cooked chicken, shredded or chopped well ($1.00)
3 cloves garlic, minced ($.05)
1 T. butter ($.10)
salt, pepper, and oregano to taste ($.05)
1-2 T. cheese, optional ($.10)

Heat nonstick skillet over medium heat with butter, once butter is melted, add garlic and saute 30-45 seconds.  Once garlic is fragrant, add all other ingredients, cook over medium low until chicken is heated through.

Instructions:
Warm tortillas until pliable (either in the microwave in batches of 6-8 until well steamed or on a griddle pan over mediu, high heat until soft).

Fill corn tortilla with 3-4 T. of filling and 1 T. shredded cheese.

Roll, place seam side down on a large baking sheet (ungreased), drizzle with olive oil (optional) and bake at 400 for 7-10 minutes, until tortilla is firm and lightly crispy.  Serve with salsa, sour cream, etc. for dipping.

Yields: 24-36 taquitos
Cost: $3.89 to $4.19
Cost per taquito: $.17-$.20 (depending on filling)