Need Help with Fireside Antojitos! Can't find a recipe!

[Schadenfreude]

I came across this menu from a restaurant in Canada: http://www.montanas.ca/. Click on "From the Kitchen" to display the menu. On the appetizer menu, there's a dish, "Fireside Antojitos". They sound fantastic and I must have this recipe for my parties! Never heard of baked tortilla pinwheels!

The filling sounds easy to duplicate, as does the basil sour cream dip...just keep trying till it tastes good. But it's the baking part...any clues as to how long I would bake these? Sliced first? Or baked as a log? Will they unravel? Get runny?

 

[Alix]

I think I'd slice them thick and bake them. I don't know that baking them in a log would work.

 

[Schadenfreude]

But would slicing them give the outside layer that crispy crust? And what about melting? Would it just be an awful mess?

This would help so much if I could actually see/taste these things? Canadians out there...wanna go have a snack and report back?

 

[Alix]

LOL, no Montanas closeby or I would!

Let me think on this a bit.

 

[Alix]

It says...baked crisp and then sliced. Sounds like you ought to try that. Let it cool a bit before slicing to avoid the ooze.

 

[Shunka]

Brush melted butter on the outside of the rolled tortilla before baking and that will help crisp it up real nice. Definitely slice afterwards. They do sound very good!!

 

[Michael in FtW]

Here are some recipes for tortilla pinwheels which might give you some ideas on the quantites of ingredients to use in the filling mixture. Taking the recipes for the pinwheels, the description of the dish from Montana's website, and this website for baked mini antojitos that gave me an idea ...

I would make the pinwheel like the recipes state - spread the filling on the tortillas, roll them up, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate to 8-12 hours.

Then as Alix and Shunka said (calling in the info from the baked antojito recipe) brush with melted butter, lard, or vegetable oil - bake in a preheated 425-F/220-C over 5-10 minutes until golden. Let cool a few minutes and then slice. If you have a wire cooling rack that will fit in your baking sheet - I would bake them on that to get better air circulation and more even crisping as they bake.

If you want them really crisp - you could deep fry them.

One idea I had ... you could tuck the ends in when you roll them up (sort of like you would for a burrito or eggrole) to minimize any oozing while cooking. Then just cut the end off and slice.

 

[Schadenfreude]

Thanks for the ideas! I'll give them a whirl in 2 weeks with the 425 for 5-10 minutes method and let you know how they turn out. Also, I'm thinking of changing that dip...basil goes with mexican flavors? Maybe a mild cilantro dip. Or a roasted red pepper dip.

I know I could probably deep fry them, but I don't deep fry at all. I'll bet a quick pan fry on all sides in a little butter would do the trick, too.

 

[Constance]

Well, they weren't nearly that fancy, but I used to fix something like this all the time for our boy and his football buddies.
I spread them with canned re-fried beans, sprinkled generously with cheddar cheese, rolled them up, and put on a baking sheet. I may have sprayed them with a little olive oil flavored cooking spray...can't remember for sure.After sprinkling a little extra cheddar on top, I baked them in the oven at 350-375 until they were golden. I was surprised how crispy and flakey the tortillas got.
I sliced them in half, as these were big hungry boys, and served them with Pace Piquante Sauce (I prefer mild) and sour cream (separate bowls) on the side.

That's a great sounding filling...think I'll save the recipe. I personally think the sour cream and basil dip sounds sort of blah, though. I just don't see it complementing the tortilla rolls that well.
One thought is that you might mix a few spoons of the salsa in with the sour cream, until you think the taste is right, and use that for a sauce.
A good guacamole or the Velveeta/salsa hot cheese dip would also be good with them. Just cut the the tortilla rolls in larger pieces, as I mentioned above.

*Note: a lot of you know about the cheese/Rotel dip, but I like to use 1 lb. Velveeta Lite and Pace Piquante Sauce. I do it in the microwave, and start out with 2-3 big spoons of the sauce. Once it's melted, I add more piquante sauce as needed for desired consistancy. Add Louisiana Hot Sauce as desired.

 

[mish]

Here are a few ideas:


You could bake these a few minutes (sprayed with cooking spray), and then slice:

http://www.foodtv.ca/recipes/recipedetails.aspx?dishid=4609



Use bread dough (or pie dough) and fillings of choice:

http://www.johnsonville.com/siteconf.nsf/RS/7B0582485CF21F5086256DAB0055DAFC?OpenDocument



Won ton wrappers/Egg roll wrappers is another way to go... and dunk em in the sauce. (Plus I like this recipe )

http://www.johnsonville.com/siteconf.nsf/0/8F9CAF5B2DC4304486256DAB0055DAFB?OpenDocument&~C

 

[Schadenfreude]

A good guacamole ...would also be good with them.

OF COURSE! DUHHHHHHH. I make a kick *** guacamole! Maybe an avocado dip, not as chunky. Puree avocados and my spices in with sour cream or plain yogurt. MUST. EXPERIMENT. Thanks!

 

[jpmcgrew]

We used to make a thing called a mexican club it was a tortilla with a layer of sliced turky,grated cheddar and bacon bits rolled into a roll.All you did was microwave till hot and cut in half and serve with salsa,guacamole and sourcream

 

[Snick]

Just wondering if anyone tried making these yet?

I've had these antojitos at Montanas once as well as a pub around here that makes them similar

I can't find a recipie either. They are very creamy...so it's not just shredded cheese in them. They obviously have a cream cheese base.

As for just using sour cream for dipping, i find it the best. These are usually somewhat spicy so the sour cream balances it....it also doesn't overwhelm the flavour...which something like a cheese sauce or salsa would. The basil sour cream sounded so strange when i first saw it(the place we normally have them it's just normal sour cream) but it actually works

 

[Andy M.]

The description on Montana's website says it's baked then sliced. The photo supports that.

 

[karadekoolaid]

I made something very similar last week.
Use a big burrito tortilla ( I think they're about the size of a dinner plate).
Mix together all the "stuffing" ingredients first and plaster all over the bottom 2/3rds of the tortilla. Roll up and brush with butter/olive oil/ lard/ veg. oil.
Place into an oven dish and bake at 375º for about 15 minutes, until the top of the burrito becomes brown. Ready!

I'd avoid the "sour cream and basil" thingy like the plague, however. All that protein, fat, carbohydrate, bla, bla, screams out for a fresh tomato salsa. OR a fresh fruit salsa / try making a salsa with oranges, a little raw carrot , red onion and lime/lemon juice. (Yum)

Or serve with an olive oil/grapefruit/garlic dipping sauce.

Cut the fat!!

 

[Noah]

I ate them.

The Antojitos at Montana's are pretty much THE reason to go to Montana's. Well, that and they have a deep-fried cheesecake that is also pretty unbelieveable. The main course is just what we have between the Antojitos and the deep-fried cheesecake, so we try to have something light.

So, first of all, they are fantastic. They definately have a cream cheese base, and while there are flecks of cheddar cheese, green onions, red peppers, parsley and jalapenos mixed into it, they're holding out on some secret ingredients.

The tortilla is definately baked. It's dry-crispsy, and doesn't look like any oil or butter was brushed on it.

The dip is just sour cream, and the "basil" dip referred to is merely a little blop on top as decor. Tastes like a blob of pesto sauce.

I think they must freeze them solid, then blast them in a convection oven. They definately cut them after baking, because you can see little fragments of crispy tortilla in the filling, and see what direction they were cut in.

Not sure how they prevent the filling from oozing out the ends, because they don't serve you the ends.

They're served to you in a cast iron skillet, piping hot. They're way too hot to pick-up, and by the time they've cooled enough to eat one, the middle is warm. But I think this supports my frozen-solid before baking theory.

They're also quite hot in comparison to the rest of the menu, or indeed any chain of the parent company.

I suspect the deep-fried cheese cake is along the same line. The take a square slab of cheese cake, complete with the graham crumb base, freeze it rock solid, wrap it in a tortilla, then deep fry it golden brown. The cheese cake remains cool, but starting to get a little soft. Topped with powdered sugar, a drizzle of chocolate sauce, and a garnish of whipped cream.

It's a real big dessert, after we tried it the first time, we always just split one now.

Found this site, also looking for a basic recipe for Antojitos that I can tweak to taste like this one.

 

[Snick]

So, first of all, they are fantastic. They definately have a cream cheese base, and while there are flecks of cheddar cheese, green onions, red peppers, parsley and jalapenos mixed into it, they're holding out on some secret ingredients.

I think they must freeze them solid, then blast them in a convection oven. They definately cut them after baking, because you can see little fragments of crispy tortilla in the filling, and see what direction they were cut in.

Not sure how they prevent the filling from oozing out the ends, because they don't serve you the ends.

They're served to you in a cast iron skillet, piping hot. They're way too hot to pick-up, and by the time they've cooled enough to eat one, the middle is warm. But I think this supports my frozen-solid before baking theory.

They're also quite hot in comparison to the rest of the menu, or indeed any chain of the parent company.

I agree...there is something in there that you just can't see or figure out. I've hunted for a recipie and can't find anything either.

You didn't get the ends? I've gotten the ends when ever I've gotten them. They're just kinda pressed together...I've gotten some orders with both ends, and some with only one? But I get the ends. They're my favourite part cuz they're so crunchy...and easier to hold when they're hot

 

[JPaq]

Montana's is my absolute favourite place to eat and the antijitos are to die for. We liked them so much the manager gave us the ingredients.
They are made with 1/2 cup cheddar,1 cup cream cheese,1/8c green onions, 1/8 c green pepper, 1/8c red pepper, 1/8 c jalepeno peppers. You mix the cream cheese, onions and peppers together, spread over tortilla, sprinkle cheddar over top, roll up, score the top of the roll 6 times, bake in 375 oven for 4 minutes.
I've made them several times since getting the recipe and they have turned out well.

 

[cjs]

Oh my goodness!! What a lot of fun to be had before New Year's Eve!!! (glad I haven't written my menu in stone... )

and I'm thinking the two things to keep in mind making these is - be sure to score them before baking and to bake them in a cast iron skillet.

 

[victag]

The Fireside Antojitos are one of my favorite appetizers. I get them every time I go to Montanas even if I know I will overeat. I have also tried to make them at home a few times, but they never taste as good. It looks like they bake them as a whole roll until the tortilla shell gets a little crispy and the cheese melts a bit, then cut after baking on an angle so that they have a point for dipping. They give you a side dip of sour cream with what looks like a pesto drizzle over the top of the sour cream. The dip is a key component to their great taste! I call these Mexican sushi..mmmmmmmmmmm