Southwest Chicken Eggrolls

Ok, so I was going to a family event (not my own family though), and I wanted to bring something of course! However, this family is not crazy for the treats and desserts like my own. So that kicked out most of my ideas. I wanted to make an appetizer, but something new and different. I combined two different recipes to get these southwest chicken eggrolls. If you yourself are looking to be a bit healthier in the New Year or are cooking for a healthy group, these are a great appetizer! Unlike most eggrolls, these are not fried, but baked.

Southwest Chicken Eggrolls

Ingredients:

1 large chicken breast, diced 

½ c. lime juice

1/3 c. olive oil

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. honey

2 c. frozen corn, thawed

1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed and drained

1 package (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed out

2 c. shredded Mexican cheese (cheddar, jack, Monterey, and mozzarella if you want to do it yourself)

1 can (4 oz.) diced green chiles, drained

4 green onions, chopped

1 tsp. ground cumin

½ tsp. chili powder

½ tsp. pepper

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper (use more if you aren’t  a spice wienie like me)

1 package egg roll wrappers (20-25)

If you have time combine the first five ingredients and let them marinate.
Heat skillet on med-high heat. Combine first five ingredients (chicken through honey). Add to skillet and cook chicken. I try to cut chicken up even smaller while it is cooking. After letting it cook in the juices, pour the juices out of the pan. Add a smidge of butter and continue to cook the chicken a bit longer to give it a nice color.

Preheat oven to 350*. After rinsing and straining your various cans and packages, combine everything (besides the egg roll wrappers) in a large bowl. Add the chicken in too. Mix it all up. Lightly spray your cooking sheet with Pam.

Squeeze the spinach as dry as you can

The mixture isn't that appetizing...

Separate an egg roll wrapper and lay down with a corner facing you. Put a ¼ cup of your southwest mixture slightly south of the middle of the square. Start rolling from the corner closest to you shaping it into eggroll shape. Fold in each of the side corners. Finish rolling it all the way up. Dip your finger in some water to seal the corner down. Place egg roll on baking sheet with folded corner underneath.

After rolling all of your eggrolls, lightly spray the tops of the eggrolls with your cooking spray (or you could brush them lightly with melted butter). Bake for 15 minutes, rolling them halfway through. Serve warm with some salsa, guacamole, or sour cream (plain yogurt is a healthy alternative to sour cream).

Adapted from the Tasty Kitchen (Pioneer Woman Cooks) and Annie’s Eats