Antojitos
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Spicy, cheesy and creamy, wrapped in a baked tortilla make Antojitos the ultimate appetizer! They are loaded with cheese, bell peppers, and jalapeños and ready in 30 minutes! Don’t let the jalapeños scare you away! – with the combination of gooey cheeses I promise you’re going to become a number 1 fan!
This recipe is very much fashioned after the restaurant version and it is one of my favorite appetizers! In Canada, we find these little babies at a restaurant called Montana’s, and they’ve been a staple on the menu for years. If you’ve never had antojitos, I promise you’re in for a real cheesy and spicy treat!
Now, please don’t let the jalapeño factor make you uncomfortable! I, myself am not a fan of really spicy food and although these guys can pack some serious heat, they are worth every single bit of discomfort you might experience! But if you’re really telling yourself you can’t make an exception to the spicy element, it’s not a problem – I’ve got some suggestions so that you can make them as mild or just forgo the spice factor altogether!
What The Heck Is An Antojito?
I give you Mexican street food! Antojitos are prepared by street vendors and typically found at small traditional markets – the name translates to “little cravings”. And well, I don’t know about you guys, but my craving for these things is typically not by any means “little”! They are not usually prepared as a meal, but more of an appetizer – however, if you’re anything like me and you order more than 1 serving, they do perfectly well as a meal!
Ingredients
- Cream cheese – Any brand will do, you’ll want to make sure it is at room temperature.
- Breadcrumbs – Regular breadcrumbs or Panko are fine!
- Hot sauce – Choose your favorite!
- Bell peppers – I used a green and red pepper today but you can use whichever colors you can find.
- Jalapeno pepper – Fresh is always best!
- Tortillas – I used 3 ancient grain whole wheat tortillas, but you can use any variety you prefer – there are a ton of options.
- Cheese – I am using cheddar today, as mild or sharp as you want.
- Salsa or sour cream – For dipping!
What Other Spice Elements Can I Use In Antijitos
You don’t have to stop at hot sauce and jalepenos, nor do you even need to use them if you have your own ideas! Some different ideas for spicy and more mild flavors might be:
- Habanero peppers
- Jalapeño jack cheese
- Serrano peppers
- Paprika
- Piri piri
- Cayenne peppers or cayenne powder
- Chili peppers or chili powder
- Poblano peppers
- Chipotle
Some Tips
- Don’t stress about breadcrumbs, if you can’t find them or don’t want them that’s totally okay. We are using them in order to bind together the cheesy filling and keep it firm while warm. Without it, your filling will be a bit more loose but it won’t affect the finished taste at all!
- Make sure to chop your vegetables into fairly small pieces. This way the tortillas can be rolled tightly and evenly.
- If you’re looking at the cheddar cheese amount and thinking it’s not enough, trust me it is. Using too much cheddar cheese is going to create way too much grease – so keep it to a minimum!
How To Make Antojitos
- Preheat oven: To 350 degrees, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
- In a medium bowl: Using a fork, combine cream cheese, breadcrumbs and hot sauce. Mix until soft and then add in the peppers. Keep mixing until well incorporated.
- Assemble: Spread the cream cheese mixture over the tortilla, using 1/3 of mixture on each one. Next, follow with a sprinkle 1/3 of cheddar cheese on each. Finally, roll each tortilla and cut into 1 inch slices.
- Bake: Place the cut antojitos onto the prepared baking sheet, with the seam down and bake for 10 minutes.
- Broil: After baking, place under the broiler for another 3 minutes.
- Serve: Remove from the oven, let cool for about 2 minutes and serve with salsa or sour cream for dipping!
Make Ahead
Yes – you can make antijitos ahead of time! After they are rolled and before you bake, wrap them well with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 24 hours. You can also freeze pre-made antijitos up to 2 months by double wrapping with plastic wrap. When you’re ready to eat just thaw them at room temperature or in the fridge overnight before baking.
What To Do With Leftover Ingredients
You’re likely going to have some leftover tortillas that you may need an idea as to what to do with. Tortillas can last upwards of a month after opening if you put them in the fridge. Otherwise here are some suggestions for other ways to get them used up:
- Grilled Golden Gruyere and Prosciutto Tortillas
- Apple Pie Taquitos
- Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas
- Vietnamese Fish Tacos
- Vegan Tofu Breakfast Burritos
Looking For More Tasty Appetizers? More Recipes Here:
- Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites
- Avocado Mozzarella Puffs
- Pepperoni Pizza Stuffed Mushrooms
- Cranberry Meatballs
- Blue Cheese and Steak Crostini
- Cheesy Cauliflower Tots
- Garlic Butter Shrimp
- Deviled Eggs
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Antojitos
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 13 mins
Total: 28 mins
Serves: 4
Spicy, cheesy and creamy, wrapped in a baked tortilla make Antojitos the ultimate appetizer! They are loaded with cheese, bell peppers, and jalapeños and ready in 30 minutes! Don't let the jalapeños scare you away! – with the combination of gooey cheeses I promise you're going to become a number 1 fan!
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese at room temperature
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup hot sauce
- 1/2 red bell pepper chopped
- 1/2 green bell pepper chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper chopped
- 3 large tortillas I used ancient grain whole wheat tortillas
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl add cream cheese, bread crumbs and hot sauce. Mix with a fork until cream cheese has softened. Add the peppers and mix them in well with the cream cheese.
- Spread the cream cheese mixture over each tortilla, 1/3 of the mixture for each tortilla, and sprinkle 1/3 of the cheddar cheese on each tortilla. Roll up the tortillas and cut them into 1 inch slices.
- Place the slices on the baking sheet.
- Bake at 350 F degrees for 10 minutes, then for another 3 minutes under the broiler.
- Serve with salsa or sour cream.
Recipe Notes
- I used whole wheat tortillas for this recipe. You can use any type of tortilla you prefer.
- I used Frank’s Red Hot Sauce for this recipe. You can use any type of hot sauce you prefer, or eliminate it entirely if you don’t like spice. Feel free to add extra hot sauce if you like.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
Nutrition Information:
Calories: 266kcal (13%)Carbohydrates: 12g (4%)Protein: 12g (24%)Fat: 18g (28%)Saturated Fat: 11g (69%)Cholesterol: 60mg (20%)Sodium: 894mg (39%)Potassium: 259mg (7%)Sugar: 5g (6%)Vitamin A: 1180IU (24%)Vitamin C: 46.4mg (56%)Calcium: 300mg (30%)Iron: 0.8mg (4%)
Carina says
Fabulous appetizer! My son works at Montana’s and told me that they brush them with garlic butter and only score them prior to baking. Either way, delicious!
Diane Figley says
Made this today. Soooo good. I will definitely make it again.
Colleen says
Can’t wait to make these. I have tried making up my own but these seems way more elaborate then what I came up with. Husband is so excited!!!
Grace says
Super good!!! This was a great addition to my tomato soup. I used spinach wraps, Siracha and chipotle sauce blend to cut the heat for my kiddos. They loved them, including my husband. Clearly I need to double the batch as they were squabbling over who had more.
FairyGMa says
One important part of this is to actually bake it without cutting it first. Then when it’s done baking you cut it quickly and confidently.
The cheese doesnt harden that way and is more of the melted gooey texture from the original.
And as stated from another commenter, Melinda’s, parsley and sour cream.
Joanna Cismaru says
Great tips! Thanks!
Elizabeth McGregor says
Made this tonight! Absolutely delicious. The only thing different I did was that I added some chicken. My husband LOVED it. This will be a go to dish for me to serve as an app. Can’t praise it enough! Mmmmm! Thank you!
Vivian says
Just curious…writing on the tables…cute…but when the diners leave are their “tablecloths” removed? It would seem more fun to let the comments stay to entertain the next set of diners. What do you think? We used to stash notes in high school in class desks that we sat in, not knowing who would sit in them next…way fun! and totally anonymous.
jo says
Never thought about it, but you’re right that would be cool. I do love writing on the tables, fun for adults not only kids!
Alli @ Tornadough Alli says
I need these in my life!! I have never heard of such a thing but these need to get in my belly.
Linda says
These look so good. I’m in El Paso, TX and I’ve never seen these. They will be a great hit as an appetizer! I’m keeping them a secret until I serve them. One question? Are those flour tortillas? That’s what it looks like, but the recipe didn’t say.
Wishes for tasty dishes,
Linda
jo says
Yeah, they’re called ancient grain tortillas, but yeah whole wheat tortillas.
Mike | Chili Pepper Madness says
Jo! These look crazy awesome. Right up our alley, actually. Looking forward to trying these. Nice!
jo says
Thanks Mike, I figured you’d like them! 🙂
T Coops says
Glad to find this copy cat recipe!
what is the purpose of the breadcrumbs?
jo says
Just to add a bit more texture. 🙂
Stephanie says
To make it more like montana’s use Melinda’s habanero sauce instead of franks red hot and green onions instead of green peppers. They also use some parsley, and I think I remember putting some sour cream in them.
Val says
Two of my favorite pubs used to serve them until one night both establishments told me and my friend that they just weren’t that popular and had to take them off their menu!! Only place in Ottawa, that we could find them, was The Works.. but now that I’ve moved to Calgary, AB. I don’t see how I’ll ever find them at a restaurant! Your recipe just saved me from a possible meltdown! LOL Thank you!
jo says
You’re welcome Val! I know what you mean, we used to order these every single time we went to Montana’s, simply love them!
Kim in RI says
So glad I found this recipe on your pinterest page! I’ve added it to my menu for my daughter’s party on Sunday!
crystal says
I’ve been making these for about 6 years now 🙂 back then there was not a recipe to be found for them. So I went to montanas picked it apart and figured it out 🙂 I’ve never added hot sauce but am going to try with half a batch today for superbowl. All the other ingredients are the same
jo says
Hi Crystal,
You don’t have to add the hot sauce, but if you want a bit of a kick, give it a try.
Morgan says
Host the Toast (http://blog.hostthetoast.com) just featured this recipe on the food, drink, and entertainment blog’s “Link Love” post! Great photos, recipe, and writing! I never had even heard of antojitos before this!
Cheers!
-Morgan of Host the Toast
jo says
Thanks Morgan. 🙂
Good Food Good Friends says
These look yummy. My mouth is watering!
Anna @ hiddenponies says
These are by far the best thing about Montana’s…along with the fact that you can write on the tables at the one’s I’ve been at 🙂 I LOVE that you recreated these at home, it’s been way too long since I’ve had them – I’ll definitely be trying these!
jo says
Hi Anna,
Yes I love writing on the tables too, that’s fun. I hope you try the antojitos and let me know how you like them. 🙂