Chili's Southwestern Egg Rolls

I am a pretty big fan of Chili's, and I definitely love their Southwestern Egg Rolls appetizer. I found this copy cat recipe that is pretty spot on...the only change I made was when frying them, I used about an inch of canola oil in a skillet and rotated the egg rolls instead of immersing them in oil. I made a double batch and keep them in the freezer to eat periodically, which works great if you don't have the ingredients on hand.


1 chicken breast fillet
1 T. vegetable oil
2 T. minced red bell pepper
2 T. minced green onion
1/3 c. frozen corn
1/4 c. canned black beans, rinsed and drained
2 T. frozen spinach, thawed and drained
2 T. diced, canned jalapeno peppers
1/2 T. minced fresh parsley
1/2 t. cumin
1/2 t. chili powder
1/4 t. salt
dash cayenne pepper (or substitute paprika)
3/4 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
5 - 7" flour tortillas

Avocado-ranch dipping sauce
1/4 c. smashed, fresh avocado (half an avocado)
1/4 c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. sour cream
1 T. buttermilk
1 1/2 T. white vinegar
1/8 t. salt
1/8 t. dried parsley
1/8 t. onion powder
dash dried dill weed
dash garlic powder
dash pepper

• Preheat bbq or indoor grill to high heat
• Rub chicken breast w/ some vegetable oil and grill 4-5 minutes per side or until done. Lightly salt and pepper each side while it cooks. Set aside.
• Preheat 1 T. vegetable oil in a medium-size skillet over med-high heat
• Add red pepper and onion to pan and saute for a couple minutes until tender
• Dice cooked chicken into small cubes and add to pan. Add corn, black beans, spinach, jalapeno peppers, parsley, cumin, chili powder, salt, and cayenne to the pan. Cook another 4 minutes. Stir well so the spinach separates and is incorporated into the mixture.
• Remove the pan from the heat and add the cheese. Stir until the cheese is meltes
• Wrap tortillas in moist cloth and microwave on high for 45 seconds or until hot
• Spoon approximately one-fifth of the mixture into the center of the tortilla. Fold in the ends and then roll the tortilla over the mixture very tight, and pierce with a toothpick to hold together. Repeat until you have 5 egg rolls. Arrange on plate or in a plastic resealable bag and freeze for at least 4 hours--overnight is best.
• Prepare the avocado-ranch dipping sauce by combining ingredients in a small bowl
• Preheat 4-6 cups of oil to 375 degrees
• Deep fry the egg rolls in the hot oil for 12-15 minutes and remove to paper towels or a rack to drain.
• Slice each egg roll diagonally lengthwise and arrange on a plate around a small bowl of the dipping sauce. Garnish the sauce with the chopped tomato and onion (optional).
  

Serves 3-4