Baked Chicken Chimichangas

Chicken Chimichangas are a staple at our house. I've been making these for years, and the recipe has morphed several times. This latest iteration has been around for about a year, and I finally took the time to write down the recipe.

Only this time, the husband had a request. "Can you add more cheese to mine? Like, a lot of cheese." And I obliged.

I made half the recipe husband-style (insanely cheesy, on the left in the photo below) and the rest old school (moderately cheesy.) Feel free to pick your poison.

Baked Chicken Chimichangas
Serves: 4-6

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon cumin
2.5 teaspoons chili powder (or to taste)
3 cups cooked, shredded (or cubed) chicken (I used chicken breasts from a rotisserie chicken.)
1/2 cup chicken broth (or water, if you don't have chicken broth on hand)
8 flour tortillas
1-2 cups shredded cheese (monterey jack, cheddar, or pepper jack are our favorites)
3 tablespoons butter, melted
Salsa, sour cream, and guacamole, for serving

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Meanwhile, heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add onion and saute for 8 minutes until it's softened and golden brown. Add garlic, cumin, and chili powder and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds until the spices are fragrant.

Stir in chicken and broth (or water.) Turn the heat up to medium high and bring to a boil. Allow liquid to simmer for about 5 minutes, until mixture has thickened. Remove from the heat.

Divide the chicken mixture evenly among tortillas. Top chicken mixture with cheese. (If you want your chimichangas husband style, really load it up with cheese.)

Tightly roll up tortillas and place them into a 9x13 baking dish. Brush the tops of the tortillas with melted butter. (If you're going for husband style, load even more shredded cheese on top of the chimichangas at this point.) Bake in a preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, until the tortillas are golden brown and crispy.

Serve with salsa, sour cream, and guacamole.