this food thing

Posted By admin on March 26, 2009

A tortilla seems to be one of my favorite food..vessels.  It is so incredibly versatile that I cannot resist trying anything and everything in one.    A chimichanga is nothing more than a fried tortilla, filled usually with  beef, beans, cheese, chicken or other savory ingredients.   Basically, a deep fried buritto, when it comes right down to it.  And amazingly yummy.

This recipe, Creamy Breakfast Chimichangas,  came about when I did a “wedding day breakfast” for a friend.  I wanted something simple, yet not the norm.  Since she loved Tex-Mex food as much as I always have, the breakfast had a non-traditional Mexican flair to it, with this being one of the fun things served.

In a previous post, I shared the Fresh Fruit Salsa recipe that would be absolutely perfect here.  However, this week, when I made the recipe, I ended up using a non-sugar added cherry pie filling as the topping, and cherry preserves in the filling.  My son was overly thrilled, as he absolutely loves cherries.

Creamy Breakfast Chimichangas

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup cottage cheese or ricotta cheese
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons orange zest
6 to 8 inch flour tortillas, about 8 or so
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons butter
8 tablespoons jam
Fruit Salsa (See recipe)

Mix the cheeses, sugar and orange zest together well.  Drop about 1/4 cup of this mixture onto the center of each tortilla.  Place 1 tablespoon of your favorite jam over the mixture.  Then fold the tortilla.  Fold one end of the tortilla about 1 inch or so over the mix, then fold in the right and left sides over the folded end. Fold the last side to overlap the others.  You’ll get this the first time you do it, I promise!!!

To Deep Fry:

Heat vegetable oil to 370F in a heavy deep pot.  One at a time, lower the chimichanga into the hot oil.  Wait 2-3 minutes, and then turn over, depending on how hot your oil is.  You want these golden  brown on both sides.

If you are having a hard time keeping these closed when they in the oil, use a toothpick to keep the seams closed, deep fry with the toothpick in, and then remove the toothpick once they come out of the hot oil.

To Bake:

Brush the edges of the chimichanga with the egg to seal.  Place seam side down on a baking sheet, and then brush the tops with the melted butter.

In a 475F degree oven, bake the chimichangas until they begin to brown — about 8-10 minutes or so.

Serve with Fresh Fruit Salsa or other fruit topping

Categories: Cheese, Mexican
Tags: breakfast, chimichanga, cream cheese, creamy, dessert, Mexican, texmex