Preheat the oven to 475°. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the chicken, cheese, and seasonings.
2 cups shredded chicken breast, 8 oz pepper jack cheese (shredded ), 1 tablespoon ground chile powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
In a small skillet, heat about ½ inch of oil. Fry the tortillas in the oil until hot and softened. Transfer to the prepared tray.
oil for frying the tortillas, 12 corn tortillas
Lay out the prepped tortillas and divide the chicken mixture evenly among them. Roll them up tightly and secure each with a toothpick.
Bake for 10 minutes, turn the flautas. Bake another 10 minutes. Serve hot.
Cooled flautas can be frozen after baking.
Notes
Nutritional values are approximate and are based on 1 flauta. Refrigerate leftovers promptly and use within 4 days.To freeze baked flautas: Drain on paper toweling and cool completely. Store in an airtight container in the freezer. Reheat in an oven or toaster oven for best texture, though you can reheat in the microwave as well.To freeze flautas unbaked: Once they are all rolled, place the flautas on a lined baking sheet and place in the freezer until the flautas are frozen hard. Remove the toothpicks and store the frozen flautas in a ziptop freezer bag. Do not thaw before baking. Place flautas on a tray and bake as directed. Increase baking time if necessary to accommodate for frozen flautas.Variations: feel free to swap out the chicken and pepper jack for other meats and cheeses or even beans.