Beef & Green Chile Taquitos with Queso Dip

These are a fun twist for Taco Night!  They are quick & easy, perfect for any day of the week.  Traditionally Taquitos are fried but we love them baked.  You can make them with corn or flour tortillas.  We make them both ways but flour is our favorite.  They are great for appetizers, snacks or for dinner!

Ingredients:

(for the Taquitos)

1 lb Lean Ground Beef

7 oz can Chopped Green Chilies

2 cloves of Garlic

1 1/4 tsp Chili Powder

3/4 tsp Ground Cumin

1/2 tsp dried Oregano

1/2 tsp Onion Powder

1/4 tsp Paprika

3-4 dashes of Hot Sauce (optional)

Salt & Pepper

Olive Oil

Small Tortilla Shells (corn or flour)

(for the Queso)

1 cup of Half & Half

2 cups White American Cheese

4 oz can of chopped Green Chilies

6-8 slices of Jalapeno, from a jar

3-4 shakes of Hot Sauce

Optional Toppings:

Lettuce, shredded

Tomato, chopped

Salsa

Sour Cream

Directions:

Drizzle skillet with a little bit of Olive Oil.  Heat to medium- high then add the ground beef.  Break up the meat with your spoon.  Add in all of the seasonings.

This is the hot sauce that I used.  It's my hubby's favorite. 

When the meat is fully cooked, add in the can of chopped green chilies & stir to combine.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Spray a sheet pan with nonstick spray. 

Wrap a few tortilla shells (3-5) in a damp paper towel & microwave for a few seconds to warm.  Fill each tortilla with 1 tbsp of the beef & green chili mixture, roll tightly, & place seam down on the greased sheet pan.  Spray the taquitos with cooking spray & sprinkle a little bit of kosher salt on the top. 

Repeat until all the filling is gone.  We did some with corn tortillas & some with flour.  Both my husband & I preferred the flour ones but were both good!

Bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until they are golden brown. 

In a small sauce pan, add the half & half.  Heat over medium heat.  (I usually do this first, so we can snack on the dip while the taquitos are cooking.)

When it is heated, add the cheese & reduce the heat to medium-low. 

Stir frequently, until all the cheese is melted. 

Add in the hot sauce, green chilies, & jalapenos.

Serve immediately with tortilla chips, preferably my Homemade Tortilla Chips.  :) 

I like to top my taquitos with some of the Queso Dip & some salsa. 

Serve taquitos with all the usual taco toppings, lettuce, tomato, salsa & sour cream.  We had these for dinner so I made some Mexican rice & Refried Beans too. 

This recipe makes approximately 20 Taquitos.