Baked Chicken Chimichangas – 5sp

As most of you know, one of the easiest cheats I employ when it comes to cooking up home cooked meals throughout the busy working week is to roast an extra-large chicken on a Sunday, shred it up and pop into a container in the fridge when cool. I then use it throughout the week for both salads and wraps at lunch time and quick and easy evening meals.

This recipe is a great way to use up some of this chicken. Other than baking the chimichangas in the oven, there is barely any cooking involved at all. Perfect if you want to throw everything together and leave to cook while you get on with other things.

This is one dish however that I wouldn’t reheat in the microwave for lunches the next day. Chimichangas are at their best when the tortilla nice and firm (and almost crispy). I found that whilst the filling was still delicious the next day, the tortilla was rather soggy and sad. It may firm it up again if you reheat in the oven but I would say if you are making for two just halve the recipe. Equally you could make enough to filling for all six but reserve the filling for three. Reheat that the next day and then stuff in the tortilla.

The additional of rice in this dish is optional. Most chimichanga recipes you come across don’t include rice however I’ve included it as an option here. Why? I tend to have one chimichangar myself and my other half has two. If I’m only having one I want to be properly full afterwards! If you prefer to have two for yourself, omit the rice to keep the points low. I’ve provided the SP’s for both so you can decide.

I served this with a nice side salad, some home made guacamole and some light sour cream. The result was delicious and something we will definitely be repeating again!

Baked Chicken Chimichangas 

Makes 6 Chimichangas = 6sp per individual chimichanga with rice, 5sp without (Flex)

300g roast chicken (white breast meat only), shredded

300g jar of salsa (from the crisp aisle not the fridge – I use Tesco’s hot salsa dip)

½ small tub of passata (250g)

2 tsp cumin, smoked paprika and Cajun seasoning

½ tsp garlic salt and crushed chillies

1 pepper, deseeded and finely diced

5 spring onions, finely sliced

40g half fat cheese, grated

Bunch of fresh coriander, roughly chopped

100g cooked rice (optional, I used a packet of cooked microwaveable basmati rice – add the extra points)

Salt and pepper

6 x Weight Watchers tortillas

1 tsp half fat butter

To serve

Side salad (ingredients of your choice, I used lettuce, tomatoes, red onion and cucumber with a squeeze of lime)

Homemade (or shop bought) guacamole (mine is 3sp per portion)

Dollop of light sour cream (I use Sainsbury’s Be Good to Yourself as you can have up to 2 tbsp for 1sp)

1 chilli, deseeded and finely diced

Method

Preheat the oven to 200c.

Pop the chicken in a large bowl, add the salsa and passata and all the spices and give a good mix. Add the peppers, spring onions, cheese, coriander (and cooked rice if you are having it) and give a good mix combining everything into the sauce. Season to taste.

Take a large baking dish, spray the base with 1kal and pop to one side. Then taking one wrap at a time, pop onto a plate, add 1/6^th of the mixture into a fat sausage shape in the centre of the wrap and then fold in the sides. Next fold over one of the longer edges and roll into a wrap. Place seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with all six wraps.

Melt the butter in the microwave for 10 seconds and then using a pastry brush, top each wrap with the melted butter. Pop into the oven, uncovered for 30 minutes.

If you are having salad or homemade guacamole you can get on with making this whilst the chimichangas are cooking.

Once cooked remove from the oven, pop onto a plate and then top with a little guacamole, a dollop of light sour cream and a sprinkle of fresh chillies.

Enjoy!