The latest recipe swap I participated in was Mexican-themed. As much as we love Mexican food, I don’t seem to cook it at home much so I was super excited to try out this Chicken Chimichangas recipe recommended by Jenna at A journey through trying new things.

The original recipe calls for these to be deep-fried. In the interest of making them a little healthier, I sprayed them with cooking spray and baked them instead – it gave them a nice crunch without all of the calories.

Baked Chicken Chimichangas
(adapted from All Recipes)
Serves 2 generously

1 c. chicken broth
1/3 c. uncooked brown rice
3 T. red enchilada sauce
1/2 onion, diced, divided
2 (12 inch) flour tortillas (This makes for very large chimichangas – dividing between 3 or 4 tortillas gives a more reasonable portion size.)
1-1/3 c. shredded cooked chicken breast, divided
5 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded, divided
1/2 (6 ounce) can sliced black olives
1-1/3 c. refried beans, divided
guacamole, sour cream and cheddar cheese for topping.

In a medium saucepan combine the broth, rice, sauce, and 1/2 diced onion. Mix and bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and let simmer for about 20 minutes, or until rice is tender.

Meanwhile, heat tortillas in a large skillet (so that they are soft enough to fold).

When rice mixture is ready, spoon equal amounts of the following onto each tortilla:  chicken, shredded Jack cheese, diced onion, olives, rice mixture and beans. Roll tortillas, tucking in sides to prevent filling from spilling over.

Place rolled chimichangas on a baking sheet and spray lightly with cooking spray. Bake at 350F degrees until tortillas begin to crisp up.

Serve chimichangas topped with guacamole, sour cream and shredded Cheddar cheese.