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Recipes

Spaghetti Squash Chicken Pad Thai

This recipe was adapted from The Beachbody Blog. I wanted to make it my own and add more protein to it! I was a little hesitant to try this. It isn’t a simple recipe AND I am usually not a huge fan of spaghetti squash. Pad Thai is my absolute favorite and how can I compete with it?! I was afraid this wouldn’t taste anything like the real thing, but oh my goodness, I was WRONG. Sure, these aren’t rice noodles, but it tastes nothing like spaghetti squash! SO GOOD. What an amazing way to get in your veggies!

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 spaghetti squash

  • 2 tbsp + 1 tsp rice wine vinegar

  • 2 tbsp + 1 tsp fish sauce

  • 1 tbsp honey

  • 4 tbsp water

  • 3 chicken breasts, chopped in bite size pieces

  • 1 tbsp cornstarch

  • 8 tsp. peanut oil, divided use

  • 1 onion, thinly sliced

  • 3 eggs, slightly beaten

  • 4 cloves of garlic, chopped

ADDITIONAL TOPPINGS

  • Green onions, chopped

  • Cilantro sprigs

  • Crushed red pepper

  • Lightly salted peanuts, chopped

  • Bean sprouts

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 350° F.

  2. Place squash on a parchment lined baking sheet. Poke squash 2 or 3 times with a fork. Bake for 60 to 80 minutes. Cool for 20 to 30 minutes. Cut squash in half lengthwise. Remove seeds. Scrape flesh into stringy noodles. Set aside.

  3. To make sauce, heat rice wine vinegar, fish sauce, honey and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes. Add additional water is sauce is too tart. Set aside.

  4. Coat chicken in cornstarch in a small bowl; mix well.

  5. Heat a large wok (or skillet) over high heat.

  6. Add 2 tsp. oil, swirling to cover surface of pan. Add chicken; cook, stirring constantly, for 6 to 8 minutes, or until chicken is fully cooked. Remove chicken from pan and place on a large plate. Set aside.

  7. Add 2 tsp. oil to pan; cook, over high heat, swirling to cover surface of pan. Add onions; cook, stirring constantly, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until onion are light golden brown. Remove from pan; place on plate with chicken. Set aside.

  8. Add 2 tsp. oil to pan; cook, over high heat, swirling to cover surface of pan. Add eggs; cook over medium heat. Do not stir. As eggs set, lift edges, letting uncooked portion flow underneath, creating a very thin omelet. When eggs are set, cut them with your spatula. Remove eggs from pan and place on plate with chicken and onions. Set aside.

  9. Add remaining 2 tsp. oil to pan, swirling to cover surface of pan. Add garlic; cook, over medium-high heat, for 1 minute.

  10. Add spaghetti squash, spreading squash into a single layer; cook for one minute, stir and make another single layer. Repeat this 6 to 8 times, cooking for about 8 minutes.

  11. Add sauce; mix well.

  12. Add chicken mixture; cook, stirring frequently, for 1 to 2 minutes, or until well mixed and heated through.

  13. Transfer to a large serving platter. Top with peanuts, lime wedges, cilantro, bean sprouts and crushed red pepper.

This recipe serves 6. I counted 1/6th of this recipe as 2 greens, 1 red, 1 tsp and added 1 orange of chopped peanuts and sprinkled with red chili flakes, cilantro and green onions. This tastes AMAZING as leftovers too!

Enjoy!

xoxo – Jess

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Main Dish

Crockpot Thai Peanut Sauce Chicken

INGREDIENTS

  • 3 chicken breasts

  • 1 can of coconut milk

  • 1 cup chunky natural peanut butter (I used Adam’s Chunky Peanut Butter)

  • 4 cloves garlic, minced

  • 3 tbsp honey

  • 3 tbsp gluten free soy sauce

  • 2 tbsp lime juice

  • 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

  • 2 tsp red chili flakes

  • Brown rice (I use Trader Joe’s frozen brown rice, 1/2 cup per serving)

TOPPINGS

  • Lightly salted peanuts, chopped (1 use 1 tbsp per serving)

  • Fresh Cilantro

DIRECTIONS

  1. Arrange chicken breasts on the bottom of the crockpot.

  2. Combine coconut milk, peanut butter, garlic, honey, soy sauce, lime juice, rice wine vinegar and red chili flakes in a bowl and mix well. Pour over chicken.

  3. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.

  4. Once chicken is fully cooked, shred it and return to the crock pot with the sauce.

  5. Serve over brown rice and garnish with chopped peanuts, additional red chili flakes and cilantro.

If you are following the 21 Day Fix, 3/4 of a cup is your serving size. I put 3/4 cup of the chicken mixture over 1/2 cup of brown rice and garnish with 1 tbsp of chopped peanuts and add cilantro and red chili flakes. This counts as 1 red, 1 yellow, 1/2 orange and 3 tsp.

This is GREAT as leftovers too! 

Enjoy!

xoxo – Jess

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Main Dish

Trader Joe’s Peanut Sauce Chicken & Rice Bowls

This is my GO TO lunch and although the recipe is incredibly simple, I get asked for it all the time! So why not write it up?! 🙂 This would be great with mixed veggies like snap peas, broccoli and carrots too!

Serves ONE. Multiply recipe if cooking for more than just yourself 🙂 

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 chicken breast fillet, diced

  • 2 tbsp of Trader Joe’s Spicy Peanut Sauce Vinaigrette + 1 tbsp

  • 1/2 cup of Trader Joe’s Frozen Brown rice, cooked

  • Pam Cooking spray

DIRECTIONS

  1. Marinate chicken breast in a tablespoon of the Trader Joe’s Spicy Peanut Sauce Vinaigrette. Longer the better 😉

  2. Preheat a frying pan sprayed with cooking spray on the oven over high heat.

  3. Add two tablespoons of the vinaigrette to the pan. Let it sizzle for about 30 seconds. It should start bubbling up!

  4. Add diced chicken breast and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.

  5. The sauce should bubble up and get sticky. I try to make sure the caramelized sauce sticks to the chicken before removing from heat.

  6. Serve chicken over 1/2 cup of cooked brown rice.

21 Day Fix Container Count: 1 red, 1 yellow, 1 orange

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Main Dish

Chicken, Butternut Squash & Guac Rice Bowls

I knew this idea was either going to be weird or…delicious. And I am so happy to say, this was DELICIOUS. My husband licked his bowl clean, raving about how it was the best meal ever. I am nursing my baby boy still and our pediatrician has told me to avoid dairy and some veggies like broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage to help his tummy. Those are all of my favorite veggies! So, I have been really trying to get a little creative with my meals to incorporate more veggies without munching on salads in the middle of winter. These rice bowls will be in our regular rotation now and they are SO easy…and best part? They are 21 Day Fix approved, gluten free and dairy free!

Recipe only calls for two chicken breast fillets, but wanted to give you an idea of what it should look like on the baking sheet!

Recipe only calls for two chicken breast fillets, but wanted to give you an idea of what it should look like on the baking sheet!

Serves 2.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 thin chicken breast fillets

  • 1 red onion, sliced

  • 2 cups of butternut squash, cubed (I peel mine and then cut into small cubes)

  • 4 tsp olive oil (one for chicken, one for onions, two for butternut squash

  • 1 tsp chili powder

  • 1 tsp cumin

  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder

  • 1/2 tsp onion powder

  • 1 tsp sea salt

  • 1 cup of brown rice (I love Trader Joe’s frozen brown rice!)

  • 2 cups of fresh spinach

  • 1 avocado – or your favorite guacamole

  • 2 tsp garlic salt

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

  2. In a bowl, combine chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder and sea salt. Set aside.

  3. In a small bowl, toss chicken breasts with one teaspoon of olive oil and then sprinkle on 1/3 of spice mixture, or to your liking. Line up the chicken breasts on the baking sheet. Repeat with the cubed butternut squash and onions. I used two teaspoons of olive oil on my butternut squash.

  4. Place baking sheet in the oven and cook for 11-13 minutes, or until chicken is done.

  5. Remove the chicken once it is fully cooked and return the onions and butternut squash to the oven. I cooked in 4 minutes increments and removed the onions once the bottoms were looking a little charred. I cooked the butternut squash for an additional 8 minutes, until the bottoms of the cubes were charring. If you want them a little more crisp, just leave them in the oven a little longer! Key here is NOT flipping the onions or the butternut squash!

  6. Meanwhile, you can get your guacamole and rice prepared! I use frozen Trader Joe’s brown rice, so this is when you can toss it in the microwave.

  7. For the guacamole, you can either use one you love or make it the way I do! In a small bowl, mash up one avocado and add in two teaspoons of garlic salt (or to your own liking). Then set aside.

  8. Once everything is cooked, you can start assembling your bowls! This recipe serves two. For ONE bowl, add 1 cup of spinach, 1/2 cup of brown rice, 1 cup of butternut squash, 1/2 of the onions, 1/4 cup of guacamole and one chicken breast (slice up!).

  9. Enjoy!!!

21 Day Fix Container Count for ONE Bowl: 1 red, 2.5 green, 1 yellow, 1 blue, 2 tsp (measurements are listed in step 8 of the recipe)

I hope you all enjoy this meal as much as we do! Feel free to get creative with this meal! Add some pico de gallo! Throw in some peppers! Such a great way to add more veggies to your diet!

xo – Jess

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Main Dish

Parmesan Ranch Crusted Chicken

You know what I love? A good meal that tastes like I am cheating. One thing I used to indulge on all the time when I was overweight was chicken strips. I LOVED them. I haven’t had them in a long time and felt determined to make a version at home that was not only healthy and tasted good, but also 21 Day Fix approved. I made these last night for my family and the first word out of our mouth was, “WOW!”. That’s when I knew this recipe was a keeper. They have so much flavor thanks to the ranch seasoning and have just enough crunch! Hope you enjoy these just as much as my family does!

Serves TWO.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 thin chicken breast filets, cut into strips

  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated

  • 1 tsp flour of choice (I used gf all purpose flour)

  • 2 eggs

  • 1 tbsp ranch seasoning

  • 1/2 cup of gluten free Italian breadcrumbs

  • Salt and pepper

  • 1 tbsp olive oil

DIRECTIONS

  1. In a small bowl, combine parmesan cheese and flour, then set aside.

  2. In another small bowl, scramble two eggs and then slowly stir in ranch seasoning, then set aside.

  3. In another small bowl, add breadcrumbs and set aside.

  4. Take chicken strips and cover each one in the parmesan mixture, then into the egg mixture and then cover in the breadcrumbs. Be sure to shake of excess at each step. Season with salt and pepper.

  5. Heat large frying pan over medium heat and add olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add chicken strips and cook for 3-4 minutes per side, or until chicken is cooked thoroughly and the outside is browned.

  6. Remove from heat and enjoy!

If you are following the 21 Day Fix meal plan, each thin chicken breast filet counts as one serving. Our filets made three strips each. Count as 1 red, 1/2 yellow, 1/2 blue and 1 tsp. 

 

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Recipes

21 Day Fix Butternut Squash Roll Ups

I will be honest, I had never tried butternut squash before I tried this recipe. I see so many fall recipes that include this squash, so I figured I needed to try it. I am typically not really a squash person, so I wasn’t sure what I would think. But – wow – this recipe hit the spot for me. 

This recipe is adapted from SkinnyTaste and I made it a bit more 21 Day Fix friendly.

INGREDIENTS

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SAUCE (This would be great sauce for pasta too!)

  • 1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks

  • 1 tbsp olive oil

  • 1/4 cup of green onions, chopped

  • 2 garlic cloves

  • 2 tbsp parmesan cheese

  • Salt and pepper to taste

LASAGNA ROLLS

  • 6 gluten free lasagna noodles, cooked and patted dry

  • 6 cups of fresh spinach

  • 2 cups of ricotta cheese

  • 1 egg

  • 1/3 cup of parmesan cheese

  • 1 cup of mozzarella cheese

  • Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

  2. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add butternut squash. Boil for 10 minutes, or until you can easily stick a fork through the squash.

  3. Reserve 1/2 cup of the boiled squash water and then drain the rest. Add squash to your blender and blend until smooth.

  4. Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium heat and add olive oil, green onions and garlic. Saute until garlic becomes golden brown.

  5. Add in pureed squash and parmesan cheese. Slowly stir in 1/4 cup of reserved squash water to make into a sauce. You can add a little more of the reserved water too if needed to create desired thickness. Set sauce aside.

  6. In a skillet over medium heat, add fresh spinach and cook until wilted.

  7. Remove from heat and add in ricotta cheese, one egg and parmesan cheese.

  8. Lay out the cooked lasagna and spread about 1/3 cup of the spinach mixture to each piece and then roll up.

  9. In a 9×9 greased baking dish, spread 1/2 cup of the butternut squash sauce to the bottom and then add all six roll ups. Cover each roll up with 1/4 cup of sauce. I found at the end, I had about 1 cup of the sauce left over (this will depend on the size of your squash and the amount of water you used).

  10. Cover the rolls ups with mozzarella and then pop in the oven for 40 minutes.

  11. Enjoy!

The container count for one roll up is 1 yellow, 1.5 green, 1 blue and .5 red. 

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Breakfast

21 Day Fix Pumpkin Spice Waffles

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups of gluten free rolled oats

  • 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk

  • .5 cup of water

  • 1 tsp of pure vanilla extract

  • 2 tsp of maple extract

  • 2 large eggs

  • 2 cups of pumpkin

  • 2 tsp of cinnamon

  • 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice

  • 1 tsp nutmeg

  • 1 tsp of baking powder

  • 1 tsp coconut oil

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat waffle maker and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

  2. Blend all ingredients in a blender until almost smooth.

  3. If you are following the 21 Day Fix meal plan, it may be best to measure out the batter into four equal portions so you know the exact portion size.

  4. Pour batter into waffle maker and cook. I cooked mine on the highest setting and cook 5-6 minutes per side. Mine are fairly crispy when finished.

  5. Enjoy with fruit or peanut butter!

I make this batter ahead of time and let it thicken up overnight before I use. Not something you have to do, but I love the texture of the waffles! And be forewarned, this batter does get THICK when it sits overnight to the point where I have to spoon the batter out and onto the waffle maker, it does not pour. 

If you are following the 21 Day Fix meal plan, these count as 1 yellow and .25 purple. This recipe serves 8, so the number of waffles it makes depends on the size of your waffle maker. My batch made 8 waffles, so one waffle is equal to the 1 yellow and 1/4 purple.  The serving for my waffle maker was 1/2 cup of batter for each waffle.

Jess

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Recipes

21 Day Fix Chicken Parmesan Wrap

Ok, these were amazing. I don’t post any recipe we don’t LOVE, but I know this one was good when my husband is requesting it again tonight! During the summer time, I love quick dinners. Who am I kidding, I love quick dinners ALL the time. The less time I have to spend cooking, the more time I can spend with my family. This recipe is something that you can prep ahead of time and then cook whenever you are ready for dinner! I prepped this on the weekend and then had them during the week. Total prep and cook time during the week was less than 10 minutes total. My kind of dinner! These tasted like a pizza hot pocket to me, but without the junk and the gut bomb you would typically feel afterwards. Love meals that taste like a cheat! THAT is how I have stayed on track all of these years – eating foods I actually LOVE. I refuse to ever feel like I am on a diet because let’s face it, I am in this for LIFE and no one wants to diet for LIFE.

INGREDIENTS – Recipe makes TWO wraps

  • 1.5 cups of shredded chicken (I boiled 2 chicken breasts and then shredded)

  • 3/4 cups of pureed tomatoes (make sure tomatoes are the only ingredient)

  • 2 tsp of Italian seasoning

  • 1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

  • 1/2 cups of Italian shredded cheese

  • 1 packet of stevia (optional – most marinera sauce has added sugar and is sweet, if you prefer a sweeter sauce, the stevia is great!)

  • Salt and pepper to taste

  • Two tortillas – I used gluten free Mission Tortillas

  • 2 tsp olive oil

DIRECTIONS

  1. In a bowl, combine chicken, tomato puree, Italian seasoning, fresh basil, stevia, Italian cheese and then salt and pepper to taste. This can be stored for a few days in the refrigerator.

  2. Cook mixture in the microwave before filling tortillas for 45 seconds, or until warm. Doesn’t need to be piping hot since they will be cooked.

  3. Put half of the mixture into each tortilla and then fold up like a burrito, folding in two sides and then the other two sides. Brush the outside with a tsp of olive oil,

  4. Preheat frying pan over medium high heat. I sprayed mine with Pam cooking spray too.

  5. Cook wraps for 2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.

  6. Enjoy!

If you are following the 21 Day Fix: 1 tortilla + half of the mixture counts as 1 yellow, 1 red, 1 blue and .5 green.

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Main Dish

21 Day Fix Chicken Pasta with Cauliflower Alfredo

This pregnancy has given me lots of cravings and food aversions. I have been loving all carbs and hating all meat. This dish is the perfect comfort food dish and it sneaks in chicken for some protein too!

Cauliflower Alfredo:

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 head of cauliflower

  • 10 cloves of roasted garlic (I roasted mine with a 1/2 tsp of olive oil at 400 degrees for 30 minutes)

  • 1 tbsp garlic salt

  • 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese, shredded

  • 1/2 – 1 cup of water

  • dash of salt and pepper

*Mine made enough for two Pasta dishes. Made a total of 4 cups of sauce*

DIRECTIONS

  1. Chop cauliflower into florets. In a large pot, boil water and add in cauliflower. Cook until tender and then drain the water.

  2. In a blender, add cauliflower, 1/2 cup of water, garlic, garlic salt and parmesan cheese. Blend until smooth. Add more water until you get your desired thickness. I added about 1 cup of water.

  3. Give it a little taste test and add in salt and pepper if needed, then set aside. See note below.

*I tasted mine and I didn’t care for it alone. I added in a little salt to make sure it had flavor. Mixed in with the pasta, this tastes SO good! So, if you don’t love it alone, don’t worry!*

Chicken Pasta Recipe:

INGREDIENTS

  • 3 cups of pasta, I used gluten free penne

  • 3 cups of fresh spinach

  • 1 tbsp Ranch seasoning, I used the dry Hidden Valley packet

  • 1 tsp onion powder

  • 1 tsp garlic powder

  • 1 tsp salt

  • 2.5 cups of diced chicken, I used rotisserie

  • 2 cups of cauliflower alfredo sauce

  • 1.5 cups of mozzarella cheese

  • 2 tsp dried parsley

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

  2. Boil a pot of water and cook pasta according to directions. Drain and set aside.

  3. In a pot over medium heat, add spinach and cook until partially wilted.

  4. Add in pasta, chicken, ranch seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and chicken. Mix ingredients well. Add in cauliflower alfredo sauce and gently mix with the pasta.

  5. Take pasta mixture and add to a greased baking dish and cover with mozzarella cheese and sprinkle the top with dried parsley.

  6. Bake pasta for 8-10 minutes, or until cheese starts to turn golden brown.

  7. Enjoy!

If you are following the 21 Day Fix, this recipe makes a total of six servings and is counted as: 1 yellow, 1 green, .5 red and 1 blue.

Both the cauliflower alfredo sauce and the pasta dish can be prepared in advance and cooked later. It is also really good as leftovers too! 

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Main Dish

21 Day Fix GF Cheesy Garlic Pasta

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups gluten free pasta

  • 1 head of garlic, minced

  • 1 cup ricotta cheese

  • 2 tsp Italian seasoning

  • 1 tsp basil

  • 2 tsp garlic salt

  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced

  • 3 cups spinach, stems removed

  • 2 cups of chicken, cooked – I used a rotisserie chicken

  • 3/4 cup mozzarella, shredded

  • 1/4 cup Parmesan, shredded

  • Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS

  1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook pasta for 6-7 minutes, or until tender. Save 1 cup of the starchy pasta water and then rinse and drain the pasta. Set aside.

  2. In a separate bowl, combine ricotta cheese, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, basil and garlic salt. Mix well and then slowly add in the starchy pasta water. You will not need the entire cup. Mix little by little until ricotta cheese mixture turns into a sauce with similar thickness to alfredo sauce.

  3. Place tomatoes, spinach, chicken and ricotta cheese mixture into a pot with the pasta over medium low heat. Stir ingredients together and cover for 3-5 minutes, or until spinach is wilted.

  4. Add in mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cook until cheese is melted.

  5. Enjoy!

If you are following the 21 Day Fix, 1/4 of the recipe is one serving and is counted as: 1 yellow, 1 red, 1 green and 1 blue.

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Main Dish

Gluten Free Grilled Margherita Pizza

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 Trader Joe’s gluten free flatbread crusts

  • 1 roma tomato, sliced

  • 10 basil leaves, chopped

  • 1/2 cup of mozzarella, sliced

  • 1 tbsp olive oil

  • 2 tsp garlic, crushed

  • 4 tbsp pizza sauce

  • Italian seasoning

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat your grill on high heat (I grilled mine at 600 degrees).

  2. Brush each side of the flatbread crusts with olive oil.

  3. Sprinkle each flatbread with garlic and brush on two tablespoons of pizza sauce (or more if you like more sauce).

  4. Layer on the roma tomatoes, mozzarella (1/4 cup each) and basil. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning.

  5. Place flatbreads on grill and reduce the heat to medium. Grill for about 6 minutes or until cheese is melting and flatbread has the grill marks.

  6. Enjoy!

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Recipes

21 Day Fix Chicken Taquitos

INGREDIENTS

  • 1.25 cup shredded chicken

  • 3/4 cup plain greek yogurt

  • 1 cup mexican shredded cheese

  • 1/3 cup salsa

  • 1 tsp cumin

  • 1 tsp garlic powder

  • 1 tsp chili powder

  • 8 corn tortillas

  • Salt

  • Oil/Spray – I used Pam

*Optional Toppings: greek yogurt, salsa, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, opa ranch dressing

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line baking sheet with parchment paper.

  2. In a pan over medium heat, combine shredded chicken, greek yogurt, salsa, mexican cheese, cumin, garlic powder and chili powder. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

  3. Sprinkle the mixture with salt to your liking and then set the mixture aside.

  4. Take your corn tortillas and place them between wet paper towels and microwave for 30-40 seconds. I do this in two batches of four tortillas each.

  5. Fill each tortilla with about 2 tbsps of the chicken mixture. Spread the mixture out on the tortilla and then roll up and place on the baking sheet.

  6. Once all of the tortillas are filled, spray each of them with cooking spray or brush with oil. I personally used Pam Cooking Spray.

  7. Bake taquitos for 12-15 minutes per side, or until crisp and golden brown.

  8. Enjoy!

21 Day Fix Container Counts:

Serving Size: 2 Taquitos = 1 red, 1 yellow, 1 blue (toppings are additional)

I did not use any toppings when I made them and I think they would be so good over a bed of shredded lettuce topped with salsa and greek yogurt! Opa Greek Ranch would be amazing too 😉 

 

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