Okay, we can just go ahead and get it out of the way: I’m not really sure we can call these chimichangas but I’ll carry on and get to the reason why I am calling them that. (PS: I’m 100000% sure we can call them absolutely delicious and what really matters beyond that?) This is a spring-inspired baked chimichanga with pesto, Havarti, shredded chicken, and asparagus. I paired it with a fresh and bright arugula salad. It’s honestly one of our favorite recipes that I’ve created for Rachel Cooks. (Great leftover too – I just baked them again briefly in our toaster oven and they were crispy and perfect.) I started with quickly roasting some asparagus – I used half of it for the chimichangas and half for the salad. After I roasted the asparagus, I used the same pan for baking the chimichangas…hooray for fewer dishes! While the asparagus roasted, I prepped the chimichangas. I found it easiest to lay all the tortillas out so I could evenly divide each ingredient. Oh my goodness! I almost forgot to mention the caramelized onions! So much good stuff in these! Honestly, you guys have to try them. If you have shredded chicken prepped, so these came together quickly and easily. You could also use rotisserie chicken. Toss that with basil pesto and place it in the middle of a burrito-sized tortilla. Add the asparagus, caramelized onions and shredded Havarti. Roll it up like a burrito and place seam-side down on the sheet pan you used for the asparagus. If you’re not sure how to roll a burrito or chimichanga, here’s a good step-by-step. It’s not exactly how I rolled mine but it’s probably a better method. Also, my tortillas were super soft and flexible, but if yours are stiffer, you might want to warm them briefly (20 seconds or so – I’d follow the package directions) in the microwave so they don’t crack. Give each of them a spritz of cooking spray to help them crisp up and get golden brown. The chimichangas only take about 15 minutes to cook which is plenty of time to prep the lil’ side salad to accompany these. I can’t say enough good things about these. They’re rich without being overwhelming, flavorful but you can taste all the components. They’re crunchy, satisfying, and easy to make. Enjoy!
