These easy to make taquitos can be served as an appetizer or a side dish with salsa or as an entrée topped with lettuce, tomato, olives, sour cream, etc. While developing and perfecting this recipe I’ve made it several times in the last week and no one got tired of it.  This recipe below is the way we liked it best. The chicken bacon and creamed cheese mix with the ranch seasoning and green onion to create a flavorful center in a crispy baked flour tortilla.

By spraying the outside of the roll ups and sprinkling them with salt before baking the edges of the tortillas get toasty brown and crispy giving them a perfect texture with a soft and crunchy exterior and an interior that is creamy and slightly spicy. If you are a big fan of heat, add jalapeño peppers or a dash of your favorite hot sauce. This recipe can be easily customized to your own preferences. Go for it, get creative.  Make it your own. Try it dipped in a spicy chipotle cream sauce. 

The fact that they’re crispy also makes them perfect as an appetizer because they can be easily picked up and eaten. For appetizers I prefer to use the small street soft tacos. You can use any size soft tortilla or even corn tortilla if you prefer. The size tortilla and the amount you put in each will  effect how many you get in a batch. 

Easy Chicken Bacon Ranch Taquitos

INGREDIENTS 

• 1 (8 ounce) pkg. cream cheese, softened 
• 12 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled 
• 4 cups cooked, shredded chicken 
• 1 (1 ounce) pkt. dry Ranch Dressing mix 
• 2 cups shredded Monterrey Jack cheese 
• 3-4 Tablespoons green onion, chopped 
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
• 20 (6-inch) flour tortillas 
• Salt, to taste 
• Nonstick cooking spray (I use spray olive oil)

METHOD

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. 
• Cover a large baking sheet with parchment or foil, spray lightly with cooking spray. 
• Mix together cream cheese, bacon, chicken, cheese, and green onions. 
• Add in about 1/2 of the dry ranch dressing mix, or more if desired. Mix well. 
• Spoon 2-3 Tablespoons of the chicken mixture onto each flour tortilla and roll it up. 
• Place taquitos seam-side down on the baking sheet. Repeat about 20 times or until all the filling is used. 
• Once finished, spray the tops of the taquitos with nonstick cooking spray and sprinkle with salt. 
• Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until edges and tops are golden. 
• Let cool slightly and serve with ranch dressing or salsa. 

If you like the idea of dipping these in a chipotle cream sauce simply whisk together the following, equal parts helmans mayo and either sour cream or plain greek yogurt. Both are good, it just depends on what we have on hand.  (1/2 cup of each will work.) To this add, the juice of 1/2 of a fresh lemon, 2-3 cloves of crushed fresh garlic and 2-4 TBS of hot sauce or more to taste.  We like Franks or Cholula and to be honest were pretty heavy handed with the hot sauce.  Mix well and refrigerate. This same dip is also great on roasted sweet potatoes.  I’m just sayin’.