Please welcome my very first guest writer: Meg Hodson. Her yummy recipe for made from scratch taquitos!

I don't know about you, but my kids love taco night....and Mexican food in general.  So, I am always trying to invent new recipes and different variations on the foods they love in this cuisine.  

My husband recently brought home some frozen, processed taquitos as a quick fix appetizer for a party we were attending.  I try to stay away from processed and frozen foods, so it got me thinking.  I do enchiladas and tacos from scratch....why not taquitos?  

I started with the same filling I use for my enchiladas.  I am a vegetarian and we do "Meatless Mondays" in our house, so this variation is meat-free.  But feel free to add some cooked chicken or ground meat to this mix if you like.  The great thing about this filling is that it has some great vegetables rich in vitamins and fiber snuck in....and my kids still love it.

Scratch Taquitos

Ingredients:

10-12 small corn or whole grain tortillas

1 can black beans (drained)

1/2 cup cooked butternut squash

2 large kale leaves 

1/2 cup grated pepper jack cheese

1 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. granulated garlic 

2 tbl lemon juice

2 tbl. tomato paste

Canola or olive oil

Steam kale leaves in small stockpot for 5 minutes.  Drain.  Drain black beans, too.  Add all ingredients except the cheese and oil to a food processor (or a good countertop mixer or blender will work in a pinch).  Blend well until completely smooth and incorporated.  

Lightly coat all the tortillas with the oil.  Heat in the oven for only 1-2 minutes, just until they are soft and pliable.  You can also do this in a large frying pan individually; again, only cook each one for a minute.  If you cook them too long, they will get too crispy.

Have a 9x13 pyrex pan handy.  Fill each tortilla with 3-4 tablespoons of the mixture, add a little sprinkle of the grated cheese, and roll tightly.  Transfer to pyrex dish.  Repeat process until all tortillas are filled. Ideally, refrigerate for at least one hour before cooking.  

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cook taquitos for 12-14 minutes, until lightly browned and crispy.  Serve with salsa, sliced avocado, and sour cream for dipping.

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About the Author

Meg Hodson is a regular guest blogger and has her own blog, Happy Kids, Inc.  She enjoys blogging about topics relating to keeping kids (and their parents!) happy and healthy in every way.   You can also find her on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook.