Chicken Butternut Squash Taquitos {Gluten Free}

These are a fun spin-off from our original Chicken Taquitos.  We combined savory beans, juicy chicken and sweet, nutrient-packed, butternut squash, in a crispy baked shell, truly a scrumptious taquito!  The beans and squash add such rich flavor and keep the taquitos from drying out.  Make a bunch, dip in some yummy salsa or homemade guacamole, and serve them up with a crisp green salad for dinner tonight {and lunch tomorrow}.  Enjoy!

Recipe: (makes ~48 mini shell taquitos or 24 standard shell taquitos)

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts {Prepare using our Crock Pot Chicken Recipe}

1 medium butternut squash {need ~ 1 1/2 cups of cooked squash}

1 (15 oz) can Vegetarian Re-fried Beans (or 1 1/2 cups Slow Cooker Pinto Beans, smashed)

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

the juice of 1 lime

1-2 tablespoons light olive oil

2 packages (24 each) "Taco Sliders" size Organic corn tortillas {We love MiRancho brand; GMO-free}

We used "taco sliders" size Organic corn tortillas (pictured right) 

or you could use standard taco size tortillas (pictured left) and the recipe will have about half the yield

Directions:
1. Get your Crock Pot Chicken started using 4 chicken breasts (recipe here), and allow at least 4 hours for it to cook {TIP: we like to start it in the morning, roll the taquitos during nap time then bake off at dinner}.  Once it's cooked remove chicken from broth and coarsely shred using two forks. {You can also cook the chicken a day ahead; drain the cooked chicken and store in the fridge}

2. Carefully slice butternut squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds with a spoon.  Place squash, cut side down, in a large baking dish filled with about 1/2 inch of water.  Bake @ 350'F for 20-30 minutes until tender.  Allow to cool slightly then with a spoon, scoop out the bright orange flesh.  You will need about 1 1/2 cups of cooked squash for this recipe.

3. In a large bowl, add the shredded chicken, 1 1/2 cups re-fried beans, 1 1/2 cups of cooked squash, 1/2 cup chopped cilantro and the juice of 1 lime and stir until well combined.

 4. In flat bottomed skillet over medium-high heat add 1/2-1 T of light olive oil.  Once the oil is hot, place a tortilla on the skillet for about 5-10 seconds, only on ONE side.  This is to allow them to roll without splitting.

5. Remove the tortilla from the pan and place it, oiled side down, on the edge of a baking sheet with some of the tortilla hanging over so it's easier to grab the end.  Fill the dry side of the tortilla with about 3 tablespoons of the filling {more if using standard taco size tortillas} and gently roll into a taquito.

6. Bake 12-14 taquitos at a time spread out on a baking sheet, at 450'F for 15-18 minutes until golden and crisp.  Serve hot with fresh salsa and guacamole for dipping.