Oven-Baked Cheesy Ham Taquitos

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Everyone loves fried taquitos, but you can achieve a similar crunch by brushing the tortillas with olive oil and simply baking them. Easy to make and very easy to eat! Don’t worry if your tortillas split a bit as you roll them—they will still hold together and those flyaway bits will become extra crisp.

Makes 12 to 15 | Total Time: Less Than 60 Mins

Ingredients

1 (7-ounce) package Applegate Naturals^® Black Forest Ham, or Applegate Naturals^® Slow Cooked Ham, chopped
1½ cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
½ cup salsa, plus more for serving
12 to 15 corn tortillas
Olive oil, for brushing
Sour cream and guacamole, for serving

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Stir together the chopped ham, cheese and salsa.
Lay a corn tortilla on your work surface. Spread a heaping spoonful of the ham mixture over the bottom two-thirds of the tortilla. Working quickly, roll up tightly, secure with a toothpick if needed and arrange seam side down on the lined baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling, arranging the taquitos snugly together (which helps keep them from unraveling).
Brush the tops of the taquitos with olive oil. Bake until golden-brown and crisp, 18 to 20 minutes.
Remove the toothpicks if necessary and serve the warm taquitos with salsa, guacamole and sour cream on the side.

* If you want to freeze the taquitos, let them cool completely on the baking sheet then transfer to the freezer (still on the baking sheet) until firm. Remove the toothpicks and transfer the taquitos to a resealable plastic bag and store in the freezer for up to 1 month. To reheat, arrange on a baking sheet and bake in a 350°F oven or toaster oven until hot, 20 to 25 minutes. Or microwave until hot.