I remember the huge chimichangas that TGI Friday’s used to serve… piled high with fresh guacamole, salsa, delicious sour cream and dirty rice. Mmmm.

Alas, delicious as this dish was, it was completely non-diet friendly, so I was delighted to find a recipe for skinny chimichangas in my copy of Weight Watchers Take Out Tonight! when it arrived last year. The main problem with chimichangas is the grease. They’re essentially deep-fried burritos and regardless of all the insistence on the part of people who own deep-fat fryers, they do come out greasy. So, the first major change with this recipe is that the chimis are baked after being sprayed with some low-fat cooking spray. The second problem–although, is this really a problem?–is the large amount of cheese used in the filling. Alas, this does mean both slashing the amount of cheese and the fat content. Much woe. Still, some reduced-fat cheese is actually okay.

These chimis are pretty damn good–sure they don’t have the same delicious crunch that deep-frying gives, but there’s still crunch and the filling is meaty, spicy, hot and deliciously cheesy. They’re so good that I find myself wondering why I don’t make these every week!

Skinny Chimichangas

Serves 2
WW (UK) points: 7
Source: Weight Watchers Take Out Tonight!

If you’re not dieting then go wild with dirty rice, full-fat guacamole, some sour cream and maybe some extra grated cheese on top!

225g turkey mince
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon oregano
2 teaspoons chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
225g tomato sauce (I used some leftover marinara sauce)
2 tablespoons chopped mild green chilis
55g reduced-fat cheddar cheese (I used Sainsbury’s reduced-fat red leicester)
4 tortillas (I used Discovery plain tortillas, about 10″ diameter)

Preheat oven to 200C (180C fan oven.)

Using a nonstick frying pan, fry the turkey, onion, garlic, and the three spices until the turkey is browned and the onions have softened a bit. Approx 5 minutes. Use low-fat cooking spray if it seems to be sticking. Add the tomato sauce and chillis, bring up to the boil, and then simmer for another 5 minutes.

Remove from the heat and stir in the grated cheese.

Heat the tortillas in the microwave following packet instructions.

Spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray. One at a time, place a quarter of the mixture in the middle of a tortilla. Fold in the sides then roll from bottom to top, creating a small packet. Place on the baking sheet and repeat with the other tortillas.

Spray completed tortillas with non-stick spray and bake for 20 minutes.

Serve with guacamole, 0% fat greek yogurt and fresh salsa.