Preview: Baked Flautas with Chicken and Spinach are made with flour tortillas, rotisserie chicken, spinach, and cheese. Serve with your favorite salsa and guacamole and get ready to hear, “More, please!”
These are so tempting, you won’t be able to stop with just one. I usually have no room for dessert when I’ve had my fill of these Baked Flautas or Taquitos with Chicken and Spinach.
Anytime I have a partial package of fresh spinach hanging out in my fridge, this is my go-to solution for using it. In addition, you will need some flour tortillas, leftover rotisserie chicken (which I freeze for occasions like this), and some spicy cheese.
Some people call rolled-up tortillas with filling taquitos. Others say they are flautas. The official difference seems to depend on the type of tortillas used.
However, the lines have been blurred by restaurants that use both terms interchangeably no matter what kind of tortillas are involved.
Ingredients and substitutions:
- FLOUR TORTILLAS: Start with my favorite TortillaLand uncooked flour tortillas available dependably at Costco and other grocery stores. I like the TortillaLand tortillas because of the way they bake up flaky and crispy.
Another option is to make the tortillas yourself. This is my favorite homemade tortilla recipe. Obviously, you can use store-bought already-cooked flour tortillas. - CHICKEN: Shredded rotisserie chicken is what I usually pull out of my freezer for this recipe.
- CHEESE: Use Pepper Jack cheese for the heat and flavor it adds. Monterey Jack would be a milder choice. Cheddar cheese also works.
If you use cheese without peppers, you might consider adding some chopped pickled jalapeños for the sake of spiciness. - SPINACH: Fresh spinach is the easiest in my book. If you use frozen spinach, be sure you squeeze it dry before adding it to a tortilla.
What to serve on the side
Make some fresh guacamole or use salsa as a dip for your flautas. They aren’t the same without condiments. By the way, you can read the secret to buying good avocados here.
Variations
These taquitos are similar to the Crispy Egg and Sausage Breakfast Taquitos I’ve written about in the past. They are not limited to breakfast.
Assembling Baked Flautas with Chicken and Spinach:
More recipes for Tex-Mex lovers
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Green Chili Enchiladas are corn tortillas stuffed with ground beef, onions and Monterrey Jack cheese, then smothered in green chili sauce.
Chili with Chocolate
A classic chili with chocolate added. You can't taste it but it mysteriously adds depth and smoothness to the flavor.
Green Chili and Squash Dressing
Spicy mixture of yellow squash, corn, green chilies and cornbread. Southern cuisine mixes with Tex-Mex flavors.
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p.s. If you have any questions or suggestions, you can email me privately: Paula at saladinajar.com.
Hope to see you again soon!
Paula
Easy Baked Flautas with Chicken and Spinach
Ingredients
- 4 flour tortillas - 8-inch diameter
- 3 cups fresh spinach, chopped - 4 oz
- 1 cup rotisserie chicken, shredded
- 1 cup Monterrey Jack cheese or Pepper Jack, shredded - 2.5 oz
- Olive oil or coconut oil spray
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450˚F.
- If you are using uncooked tortillas, go ahead and cook them per directions on the package. Otherwise, cut cooked flour tortillas in half.
- Place fresh spinach into hot skillet and heat just until wilted. Drain any excess liquid.
- Distribute equal amounts of chicken, spinach, and shredded cheese onto long side of each tortilla half. See picture above.
- Starting with the long side, tightly roll each tortilla and place onto cookie sheet seam-side down. The cheese will melt and stick, so I recommend lining cookie sheet with non-stick aluminum foil, parchment paper, or a silicone baking mat for easy removal of the flautas and quick clean-up.
- Spray both sides of rolled tortillas with olive oil or coconut oil.
- Bake at 450˚F for 8 minutes or until flautas start to brown. Carefully flip flautas to seam-side up and continue to bake for another 5-8 minutes until flautas are golden brown and crispy all over.
- If seams start to pop open after you flip flautas, gently press them back together with your tongs while flipping.
Piper
Saturday 8th of August 2015
I know how I am cutting avocados going forward! Who knew? Plus, these flautas look terrific, I'm always looking for more ideas for those Costco roast chickens.
Paula
Sunday 9th of August 2015
How do people survive without $5 Costco chickens? :-)
Betty
Thursday 6th of August 2015
These look good! I'm always looking for new ideas for dinner that don't require a lot of time or energy. :) You are such a lucky Mimi! My grandbabies are both far away. I did have one for the whole summer though- I just sent him back to your neck of the woods. He calls us Mimi and Papa too. :)