These baked pork and green chili chimichangas are so good they’ll knock your socks off.  You won’t miss that they aren’t fried, and you can make them in advance and in bulk.  Heck, you can even make them dinner sized using a larger tortilla or appetizer sized like I did.

You can even freeze them if you make a large batch and simply re-heat and eat like those cute little frozen burritos & chimis you find at the supermarket.

This recipe came about as I was thinking up an easy appetizer to bring to Joel’s family reunion that would hold up, re-heat well and be made in a miniature, two-bite form.  Also because I was craving green chile soup…and cheese (what’s new?) and had a batch of pre-shredded crock pot pork shoulder in my freezer.

Start by chopping up your onions and garlic.

Throw some vegetable oil in a large pot and start to cook down the onions.  Let them sweat it out until they are translucent, but not caramelized.  About 5 minutes.

Add the garlic and cook out the raw flavor ~ about another 2 minutes.

Next, add your shredded pork.

And cumin, salt and pepper and stir gently to combine.  I usually like to add spices into the onion/garlic/oil mixture because I find that they release their flavors better in oil, but today I really want to amp up the cumin flavor throughout the pork.

Alternatively, you could use cubed pork shoulder ~ if you go this route, brown the pork pieces in a little vegetable oil for about 10-12 minutes and remove to a plate before cooking down your onions and garlic.  This is really a pork green chile stew recipe that I didn’t water down so I could use as a filling instead of a full blown stew.

Sprinkle with cornstarch and cook for another 5 minutes to warm the pork through.

Add green chiles (yes, I used this whole bag because I like to go overboard from time to time).

And diced tomatoes

And simmer for 30-45 minutes to allow the green chiles to really flavor the meat.  At this point, you could add chicken broth/water to make a stew to eat alone or top burritos with…but that’s a recipe for another day.

Use a slotted spoon to transfer the solids to a large bowl.  You don’t need all of the liquid in the wraps.

Add shredded cheese and stir to combine.

I’m using a store bought, pre-shredded, Mexican 4-cheese mixture.

Warm your tortillas in the microwave for 30 seconds – 1 minute.

I use a tortilla warmer to keep them warm as I roll in batches.

And my all-time favorite brand of flour tortillas is Guerrero (because Joel’s Aunt Kathy got me hooked!) ~ use these if you can!

Depending on the size of your tortilla, drop an appropriately sized spoonful of mixture into the center of the warmed tortilla.

Add extra cheese if you want to…you know you want to…

Roll it up like a burrito, starting with the bottom flap.

Pull in the sides.

And roll to the opposite edge.

Line these up on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, seam side down.

Hit ’em with a spritz of non-stick cooking spray.

And bake for 12-15 minutes on 450° or until lightly browned.  You can add extra brown to the tops by broiling on high for another 2-3 minutes.

Try to let them cool a bit before biting into one.  Or just burn your tongue a bit by disregarding earlier warning and scarfing 1 down fresh out of the oven. Not that I did that…

5.0 from 6 reviews

Pork & Green Chile Chimichangas

 

Print

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

90 mins

Total Time

1 hour 40 mins

 

This is an "outside-in" green chile stew rolled up inside a flour tortilla with cheese, then baked to resemble a chimichanga. A portable bowl of green chile stew, really!

: Appetizer, Entree

Serves: 40 mini / 20 large

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2-4 cloves garlic, minced
• Shredded pork, about 4 lbs pre-cooked weight
• 1 tablespoons corn starch
• 2-4 teaspoons cumin, to taste
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper, fresh cracked is best
• 16-20 oz Green Chiles, fire roasted and diced
• 14 oz diced tomatoes (1 can)
• 40 small Flour tortillas or 20 large
• 32 oz Shredded cheese (cheddar or a 4-cheese Mexican blend)

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Heat a large pot over med-high heat and add vegetable oil. Once oil is hot (should shimmer and barely smoke), add chopped onions and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Add minced garlic and cook for about 2 minutes.
4. Add cumin, salt and pepper and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
5. Add shredded pork and corn starch and heat through, cooking about another 5 minutes.
6. Add green chiles and diced tomatoes with their juices and stir to combine.
7. Cover and simmer for 30-45 minutes to let the flavors combine.
8. Using a slotted spoon, remove the solids from the soup into a large bowl ~ you don't need this for the filling, it was just to simmer the flavors together.
9. Add shredded cheese and stir to combine.
10. Warm tortillas in the microwave for 30 seconds-1minute.
11. Lay out tortillas and add a spoonful (or more) to the center of the tortilla; add a little extra cheese if you'd like.
12. Roll the bottom half of the tortilla over the filling, tuck in the sides and finish rolling, like a burrito, to the opposite side of the tortilla.
13. Place the chimichanga seam side down on the parchment lined baking sheet and spray with PAM, or other non-stick cooking spray.
14. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until lightly browned. If your oven isn't browning the tops enough, broil on high for the final 2 minutes.
15. Let cool slightly before serving.

Notes

You can make mini versions for lunch/appetizers or go BIG and make this a full-on dinner. The size of your tortilla will be your guide.

2.2.8

Some days I rack my brain thinking up appetizers to bring to a party.  Most days, though, they’re a result of an insane craving that’s been nagging at me and a party is the perfect excuse to whip it up and share.

This week’s craving started out with cheese…of course!  But then it moved to fried (fill in the blank) and now I can’t stop thinking about some sort of fried cheese.  And then my obsession with how Giada says ‘pasta’ hits me and I flash back to an episode of her making fried cheese ravioli and I’m hooked.

Here’s my step-by-step with a slight tweak to her recipe.

Gather up your cast iron pot, fresh raviolis & jarred marinara from the supermarket, olive oil, breadcrumbs, Italian seasoning, buttermilk and Parmesan cheese.

Fill your pot with olive oil to a depth of about 2 inches – you don’t need much; just enough to submerge.  Keep the oil on hand in case you need to add more throughout cooking (which I did, because I made a double batch).

I don’t turn up the heat until I’ve coated each ravioli because I don’t want to risk the oil burning while I’m dunking this little beauties.  But once your raviolis are coated, turn the oil up to a temp of 325° on a candy thermometer (or about medium heat).

Measure your breadcrumbs and dry Italian seasonings into a shallow dish (cake pans or pie pans work well).

I rub the added Italian seasonings to break them up and release a little extra flavor.

Pour buttermilk into a separate, matching shallow dish.

Ok, matching isn’t required, but it is cute.

Grab a handful of raviolis and dunk them into the buttermilk.  Use a slotted spoon to raise them out of the buttermilk and allow the excess to drip off.

Drop them into the breadcrumb mixture and shake around, using an fork to ensure an even coat.

Pat them into the crumbs a couple of times, just to show ’em a little love.

The buttermilk will act as a glue – no eggs needed! Place each batch on a cookie rack until you’ve dusted them all with crumbs.

These beauties are now ready for the fryer.

Once your oil reaches 325°, use a Chinese strainer to slowly submerge raviolis in the hot oil.

Once they float up, use the strainer to flip them and then start rescuing them from the pool.  This should only take 2-3 minutes.

Remove to paper towel lined plate to drain and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese while they are still warm.

Serve with store bought marinara sauce – 30 seconds in the microwave helps take off the ‘jarred’ flavor – then keep your family from eating them all before the party even starts!

And yes, even if you tell me not to bring anything, I will still show up with a plate full of something as I was raised never to visit a friend’s home empty handed.  I was also raised under the understanding that the abundance of food I put out for guests is a showing of how welcome and loved they are and how honored I am to have you in my home, or that you’re having me in yours.

It the Cambodian in me.  We’re not trying to impose or be rude, we just like to feed people!

So I will feed you well whether you’re at my house or I’m at yours.  I promise.

Luckily for me, my gracious hostess this week made room on her table for these.  Otherwise I would have sat them in my lap and eaten them all by myself, no doubt.

These fried raviolis will go fast so load your plate up because there might not be any left for seconds.

Pig out, peeps.  I encourage it.

This message was brought to you by Phanneth for President (of fried food, or at least of cheese eating, anyway).

~pw

Fried Ravioli

 

Print

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Total Time

30 mins

 

Easy Fried Ravioli Appetizer ~ totally different, and totally super delish!

: Appetizer

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 1 pkg store bought ravioli (any type)
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 cups Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1 teaspoon dry Italian seasoning
• 1 jar marinara sauce, heated for dipping
• Olive oil, for frying
• Parmesan cheese, for topping (about ¼ cup)

Instructions

1. Pour olive oil into heavy bottom pot (cast iron works well) to a depth of about 2 inches. Heat up to 325 degrees over medium heat.
2. Put breadcrumbs and Italian seasoning into a shallow dish, stir to combine, crushing the dry seasonings into the crumbs.
3. Pour buttermilk into a seperate shallow dish.
4. Working in batches, add ravioli to buttermilk then use a slotted spoon to remove and drain off excess buttermilk. Add to breadcrumbs and shake or press into breadcrumb mixture to enure an even coating. Place on wire rack until you've finished dunking and your oil comes up to temp.
5. Using a Chinese strainer, add raviolis in batches to hot oil. Once they rise a bit, use the strainer to gently flip. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until evenly golden browned.
6. Remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain off excess oil and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese while still warm.
7. Serve with a bowl of warmed marinara sauce for dipping.

2.2.8

Heading to a playoff game party and need a quick & easy appetizer to share?  This easy, cheesy, corn cup recipe is a major crowd pleaser at our house; it flies off the serving tray faster than I can get them plated and off of the baking sheets!

We’ve been forced to make a milder version of this Rachel Ray adaptation because of the kiddos, but this easy recipe is so versatile that there are quite a few variations you can try.

Cheesy Corn Cups Recipe

• 2 (8 oz) blocks of low-fat cream cheese, at room temp
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup medium cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 cup Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• 1 bag Tostitos Scoops tortilla chips
• Chives or cilantro, chopped (for garnish)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese & eggs together and blend until smooth.  Add the shredded cheeses and corn and stir together.

Place scoops on a rimmed baking sheet, removing broken cups as they won’t hold the filling well.  Get as many as you can on 1 sheet (this will minimize the need to bake in batches).

Using a small cookie scoop, fill each cup with about 1 teaspoon of filling.  Alternatively, you can put the cheesy corn mixture in a large storage bag and cut about an inch off the bottom corner to make a homemade pastry bag.  Don’t be shy; fill these cups all the way up to their tops.  Bake for about 20 minutes to allow the filling to set.

Serve warm, topped with chives or cilantro as a garnish.

Variations:

• Swap cheeses for shredded pepper jack
• Add 7 oz can of fire roasted green chiles (drained).
• Serve topped with fresh salsa, or place a bowl in the center of your serving tray for dipping.
• Garnish each cup with a thinly sliced fresh jalapeno round, or sprinkle with a finely diced jalapenos & cilantro mixture (omit chives).

Cook time: about 25-30 minutes

Makes: about 50 cups

Be brave!  Let your imagination and your taste buds be your guide.  Make multiple batches with different flavor combinations for variety.  Enjoy!

Go Broncos!  Go Tebow!

I still believe.

xoxo,

~pw