Southwestern Chicken Wontons

I love meal planning but sometimes I get into a rut. I like to mix it up from time to time with making something non-traditional for dinner. Tonight I made this recipe from Picky Palate. They were awesome! I baked them instead of frying them and I still thought they were great. Frying them would probably be amazing but I couldn't justify it for just a random dinner. These were great and I highly recommend them for an appetizer or even dinner. I paired them with veggie rice and it was nice and a break from the usual chicken dinner!


Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons canola or vegetable oil (I used EVOO)
½ Cup finely diced white onions
½ Cup finely diced red bell pepper
2 large cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 12 oz can chunk chicken, drained (I used 1 grilled chicken breast, diced small)
¼ Cup packed fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
¼ Cup Verde Salsa (I use Herdez brand) (I used regular salsa)
2 Tablespoons prepared ranch dressing (I used Spicy Ranch which I think complimented this recipe well)

½ package wonton wrappers (I used the brand Nasoya, found in produce section of grocery store)
1 egg white whisked with 2 Tablespoons water

1. Heat oil into a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onions and bell pepper for 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in garlic for 1 minute and remove from heat.

2. In large bowl add onion mixture, chicken, cilantro, salsa, ranch, salt and pepper. Mix until well combined.

3. Place 1 Tablespoon chicken mixture in center of wonton wrapper. Brush bottom edge with egg white wash, fold over filling and press edges together firmly, forming a triangle shape.

4. 2 options of cooking. 1st is place about 1 inch of canola or vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat. When hot, place 4 wontons at a time into oil. Cook 1-2 minutes per side or until golden brown. 2nd option is place wontons on a baking sheet; bake at 375 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until crispy, flipping once half way through cooking.

5. Serve with Ranch dressing or salsa if desired. (I served them as is and it was great!)