A whole lot of cheese -- 1 1/2 pounds, in all -- makes chicken chalupas a favorite with just about everyone. art head: Crowd-pleasing chicken CHRISTINE DE LESSIO/STAFF

Quick cooking with Karin: Chicken chalupas

Mexican- inspired cheese and chicken dinner sure to be a hit

Web posted March 3, 1999

 Chicken chalupas

By Karin Calloway
Special Columnist

If you're looking for a dish that's simple to make and feeds a crowd, look no further than today's south-of-the-border chicken chalupas. This creamy, cheesy, semi-spicy meal wrapped in a tortilla is sure to help you beat the tired-of-chicken doldrums.

Chicken chalupas are quickly assembled if you have cooked, cubed chicken in your freezer, as suggested in this column several weeks ago. And, Cindy Norris, who submitted this recipe in the Westminster Family Cookbook, published by Westminster Schools in Augusta, says that in a pinch, canned chicken can be used.

The basic recipe is similar to many chicken casseroles, and includes a sauce made of cream of chicken soup and sour cream. It takes a turn towards Mexico when Monterey Jack cheese, green onion, green chilies and black olives are added to the blend. Some of the sauce mixture is set aside as a topping, then chicken is added to the remainder. The chicken mixture is rolled into flour tortillas, placed in a large glass baking dish and is topped with the reserved sauce. A liberal sprinkling of grated cheddar goes on before baking.

This is versatile dish because it can be assembled ahead or made just before baking. If you're planning on entertaining after work, prepare the dish in the morning, cover it and refrigerate until you come home. Allow it to sit out on the counter for 30 minutes, then bake according to directions. It even can be prepared a day ahead, or frozen (unbaked) for several weeks.

Chopped green chilies add spiciness without much heat, so feel free to add some chopped jalapenos to fire it up. I found canned sliced black olives with chopped jalapenos at the supermarket, and they gave the dish just a little punch.

This recipe calls for a lot of cheese, which is probably one of the reasons why everyone likes it so much. The filling calls for three-quarters of a pound of Monterey Jack, which is the equivalent of three cups of shredded cheese. Another three cups are called for in the topping. Shredded cheese comes in two-cup packages, so I buy two-cup packages of Monterey Jack, Cheddar and Mexican Blend when I make this casserole. All of the Jack, plus one cup of the Mexican blend go into the sauce/filling. Then one cup of the Mexican blend and all of the Cheddar are used for topping.

Chicken chalupas can be trimmed down fat-wise by using lowfat sour cream, Healthy Request cream of chicken soup and reduced fat cheeses. I wouldn't recommend going all out fat free on this dish; you'll be disappointed with the results.

Don't shy away from making chicken chalupas, which serves eight, or be tempted to cut the recipe in half if you are feeding a smaller family or group. The leftovers reheat beautifully in the microwave. Or, do as I did last week when I made this dish for my family, and share some with your neighbors.

Serve chicken chalupas with a fruit salad or tossed salad with pineapple, kiwi and mandarin oranges and a sweet dressing like honey mustard or poppy seed. For dessert, whip up some mocha mousse. Combine 1 cup skim milk with 1 teaspoon instant coffee and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. With an electric mixer, mix in a small package of of chocolate instant pudding mix, and beat on medium for two minutes. Fold 1 cup of non-dairy whipped topping into the chocolate pudding mixture, divide between small dessert bowls. Chill until ready to serve, and top each serving with a dollop of the whipped topping.

Chicken Chalupas

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1 pint (2 cups) sour cream

2 green onions, sliced

1 4-ounce can diced green chilies

1 4-ounce can sliced black olives, drained

3/4 pound (3 cups) grated Monterey Jack cheese

4 chicken breast halves, cooked and diced, about 3 1/2 cups

1 package, 8 to 10 count, flour tortillas

3/4 pound (3 cups) grated cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 3-quart rectangular glass baking dish with non-stick spray.

In a large bowl, combine soup, sour cream, green onions, green chilies and olives. Stir in Monterey Jack cheese. Remove 2 cups of mixture to another bowl and set aside. Add chicken pieces to remainder of mixture.

Spread approximately 1/2 cup chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla, and roll, leaving ends open. Place in prepared baking dish.

Repeat, until all mixture is used, squeezing tortillas tightly to make room for all.

Spread remaining sauce mixture over tortillas and sprinkle with Cheddar cheese. Bake for 40 minutes, until hot and bubbly.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Karin Calloway is a corporate chef and free-lance writer. You can write her in care of The Augusta Chronicle, P.O. Box 1928, Augusta, Ga. 30913. Or send her an email to karingca@aol.com.