Chi Chi's Copycat Recipes

Baked Chicken Chimichangas recipe
2 1/2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
16 ounces salsa (mild or spicy)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of salt (if necessary)
6 (10-inch) flour tortillas
1 cup refried beans
Olive oil (for basting)

Garnishes
Sour Cream
Guacamole

In large saucepan, sauté onion and garlic in oil until tender. Stir in chili powder, salsa, cumin and cinnamon. Stir in shredded chicken. Let cool.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Grease a 15 x 10 x 1-inch jellyroll pan.

Working with one tortilla at a time, spoon a heaping tablespoon of beans down center of each tortilla. Top with a scant 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture. Fold up the bottom, top and sides of tortilla; secure with wooden toothpicks if necessary. Place chimichangas in greased baking pan, seam side down. Brush all sides with the oil. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and crisp, turning every 5 minutes

Chi Chi's Margarita Marinade recipe
Use with two pounds pork tenderloin, chicken breasts, beef tenderloin or flank steak

1 (10 ounce) can Chi Chi's diced
tomatoes and green chiles, drained
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup Tequila
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon fresh garlic, minced
1 teaspoon grated lime peel

In large recloseable plastic food bag, combine all ingredients except meat. Mix well. Add meat, seal the bag and turn over several times to coat meat thoroughly. Place bag in refrigerator, turning bag occasionally, 8 hours or overnight.

Preheat broiler. Remove meat from marinade; reserve marinade. Place meat on broiler pan. Broil 7 to 8 inches from heat source until desired doneness.

In a small saucepan, bring marinade to a boil, then boil one minute. Serve marinade with the meat.

Old West Oven-Fried Chicken recipe
Note: you can make it as hot or as mild as you like it. Serves: 4 Heat Scale = Mild

1 (8 ounce) jar taco sauce (your favorite)
1 egg
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups crushed cornflakes
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin powder
1 teaspoon oregano
Dash ground cloves
Crushed red pepper to taste (optional)
2 1/2 pounds chicken thighs
6 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a shallow dish, whisk together taco sauce, egg and garlic.

In a plastic or paper bag, combine cornflakes, chili powder, cumin, oregano, ground cloves and crushed red pepper if using.

Dip chicken pieces in sauce; toss in cornflakes mixture; place on a greased shallow baking pan. Drizzle with butter; bake 45 minutes or until golden and tender, and juices run clear

Seafood Enchiladas recipe
1 (10 ounce) can cream of shrimp soup
1/2 cup onions, chopped
8 ounces crab (real or imitation), chopped
1 3/4 ounces Monterey jack cheese, shredded
8 (5 to 6-inch) flour tortillas
1 cup milk
Dash of nutmeg
Dash of pepper

In mixing bowl, stir together soup, onion, nutmeg and black pepper.

In another bowl, place half of the soup mixture, crab and 1 cup of the jack cheese; set aside.

Wrap the tortillas in paper towels, microwave on HIGH for 30 to 60 seconds.

Place 1/3 cup mixture on each tortilla and roll up. Place seam side down in greased 12 x 7 1/2-inch dish.

Stir milk into the reserved soup mixture. Pour over enchiladas. Microwave, covered, on HIGH for 12 to 14 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Add a dash of hot pepper sauce to soup mix if desired.

Seafood Nachos recipe
16 large tortilla chips
1 (8 ounce) package Louis Kemp Crab Delights
1 (8 ounce) package Louis Kemp Lobster Delights
1 frozen package salad shrimp, thawed
Shredded Monterey jack cheese

Spread tortilla chips on 10-inch wax paper-lined paper plate. Layer the crab, lobster and shrimp over the nachos. Sprinkle the shredded Monterey jack cheese on top. Microwave at medium (50%) until melted, 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 minutes.

Serve with salsa or picante sauce.

Sweet Spanish Corn Cake recipe
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/3 cup Masa Harina flour
1/4 cup water
1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn, thawed
1/3 cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

With an electric mixer, beat butter or margarine until fluffy. Gradually beat in Masa Harina. On low speed, beat in water. Place corn in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until chopped coarse. Stir in masa mixture.

In a small bowl, stir together sugar, cornmeal, cream, baking powder and salt. Stir into corn mixture. Spread in a greased 8-inch-square baking pan. Cover with foil. Place in a larger pan and pour boiling water halfway up the side of the smaller pan.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 50 minutes or until set. Remove smaller pan from water, uncover, and let stand 15 minutes.