Oven Baked Chimichangas

At a Mexican restaurant I'll usually order chimichangas--one of my favorites!  A chimichanga is a deep fried burrito--so yummy but not too good for an everyday meal!  But, when you bake them in the oven they are easier to make and have less fat.

Oven Baked Chimichangas
On your work surface lay out as many large flour tortillas as you will need.  Spread over the individual tortillas a thin layer of each desired filling (for example: meat then rice then cheese).  I usually leave about 1 1/2 inches clear around the edge of each tortilla. Simply roll up the tortilla and place it seam side down in a baking pan sprayed with a non-stick spray.  Or, you can tuck in two sides of the tortilla and then roll it up to make a neater chimichanga. 

Suggested fillings: 
flavored meat (beef, chicken, Salsa Chicken, chimichanga meat, etc.)
flavored rice (Spanish Rice, Cilantro Rice, or Lime Rice)
beans (black beans or Refried Beans would be nice)
shredded cheese (cheddar or a Mexican Blend)

At this point you can spray them with a light mist of cooking spray, or brush with a small amount of oil, or leave as is.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes, or until very lightly browned.  Serve with your favorite toppings--shredded lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, sour cream, olives, green onions. 

I brushed these lightly with garlic infused oil and baked them.  These ones were filled with salsa chicken, Spanish rice, and cheddar cheese. I ended up with more than I needed and the leftovers reheated easily for another meal.

Eliza's note (April 2012): I usually make sure the filling is warm when I put it in the tortillas and then I bake them at a higher temperature, like 400 degrees, until brown and toasty.  I put a dozen or so on a parchment-lined jelly roll pan. I think they are probably smaller than the ones Tiffany makes.