This is another recipe inspired by my mom. I distinctly remember her making these chimichangas for the first time when I was in elementary school because my dad was out of town, and we were so bummed he missed out on them. Originally, she just made cascabel chicken tacos from Pepitos Chilitos Dried Cascabels, and the next day decided to turn them into cheesy chimichangas. Her wheels were turning that day because everyday after that I was begging her to make them again. She emphasized that they were made from leftovers, therefore lots of work. When I recreated them this year for Father’s Day, I understood what she meant, but man were they totally worth it!
2 lbs bone in, skin on chicken breasts
Adobo, to taste
1 (3 oz) bag Pepitos Chilitos dried cascabel chiles
1/2 cup greek yogurt
2/3 cup cream cheese
2 cups Pepper Jack cheese
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 poblanos, chopped
1-2 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped
8 large flour tortillas
– In a large Dutch oven, sear chicken breasts on all sides (no oil necessary).
– Remove chicken from Dutch oven and deglaze pan with 1-2 cups of water.
– Put chicken back in pan, add destemmed cascabels and bake at 350 degrees F with the lid on for 2 hours.
– NOTE: Occasionally check water level – you don’t want it to dry out.
– Remove chicken from pan to cool and add cascabels and remaining liquid in a blender and blend until smooth.
– Remove skin from chicken and remove bones – shred meat. Pour chicken and cascabel sauce back in pan and stir altogether.
– Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
– Sauté poblanos and red onions over medium heat. Season with Mendocino Spices all-purpose seasoning. Stir occasionally until soft.
– Mix cascabel chicken, sautéed poblanos and onions, greek yogurt, cheese, green onions, and cilantro.
– Scoop 1/4 cup of cascabel chicken mixture in the center of a flour tortilla. Fold the top and bottom part of the tortilla toward the center and fold the sides together to create a square pocket shape.
– Bake for 30-40 minutes and serve with sour cream and fresh pico de gallo!