Chorizo Taquitos

Description: This is a fantastic recipe that you can prep ahead! I've served these taquitos, sliced in half, as appetizers. The chorizo gives them a nice zing. You may serve these with sour cream and/or guacamole on the side. This is a Sandra Lee recipe. Delish! **Note: the last time I made these, I could only find a 12 oz package of chorizo. I still kept the cheese and salsa amounts the same and it worked out fine.**

Ingredients:

• 1 (16 ounce) package beef chorizo sausage, bulk, casing removed
• 1 cup medium chunky salsa, drained
• 1 cup mild cheddar cheese, shredded
• 6 -8 large flour tortillas
• guacamole (optional)
• sour cream (optional)

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a large skillet, saute the sausage over medium heat until browned - about 6 minutes (I like to break it apart into smaller pieces while it's cooking).
3. Drain 1/4 cup of oil from the cooked sausage.
4. Set sausage aside to cool.
5. Stir salsa and cheese into the skillet of sausage, mix well.
6. Place a tortilla on a work surface and spoon 1/4 cup of the sausage mixture down the center.
7. Fold tortilla in half, then roll up.
8. Secure with toothpicks.
9. Place on foil-lined cookie sheet.
10. Repeat until all sausage/tortillas are gone.
11. **You can prepare ahead until this point, and keep in the refrigerator until you're ready to bake**.
12. Bake, turning them halfway through cooking time so you get even browning, until filling is hot and tortilla is crisp and golden brown - about 18 minutes. **Check them at least 5 minutes early - mine were done quicker than 18 minute last time.**.
13. Cut taquitos in half, crosswise.
14. Serve hot with your choice of condiments!