Barbecued Chicken and Cheese Pockets

How fun are these? A savory combination of tangy barbecued chicken and gooey mozzarella nestled into a soft flour tortilla. A quick bake in the oven and the cheese melts while the tortillas toast. It's a small bite of culinary heaven. I served the pockets as an appetizer, but they would make an excellent main dish; just round out the meal with a green salad or veggies & dip on the side.

Leftover Chicken? This recipe requires 1 cup of cooked chicken, making it the perfect home for leftover chicken from a previous meal. You can also use shredded and diced rotisserie chicken (that's what I used and the rotisserie flavor was a great addition). 

Want to prep ahead? You can assemble the pockets up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerate them until you're ready to bake. I suggest you cover the baking pan with plastic wrap to keep the tortillas from drying out (the fact that they're brushed with oil will help too). 

Barbecued Chicken and Cheese Pockets

1 cup shredded and/or diced cooked chicken

2 tablespoons barbecue sauce, any variety - pick your favorite

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

8 fajita-size soft flour tortillas

Wooden picks

1 tablespoon olive oil

Kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking pan with parchment paper or foil.

In a small bowl, combine the chicken and barbecue sauce and toss to coat the chicken.

Arrange the tortillas on a flat surface. Spoon an equal amount of the chicken onto one half of each tortilla. Top the chicken with the cheese, about 1 tablespoon per tortilla.

Fold over the un-topped side of the tortilla to cover the filling. Fold in half again, forming a pocket. Secure the pockets with wooden picks and transfer to the prepared baking pan. 

Brush the tops of the pockets with the olive oil and season with salt. 

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the tortillas are golden brown and the cheese melts.

Makes 8 pockets