THIS right here is the genuine, authentic recipe for Montana's famous antojitos. A Mexican street vendor favourite, antojitos ( which translates literally into snacks ) are the perfect party appetizer. Crispy on the outside, filled with gooey cheese on the inside.
It was a bit of a "thing" for me to get this recipe so I do hope you'll make it.
For those of you who haven't heard the story, there was a certain fella in my extended family whom we referred to as Uncle Shifty. It just suited him. Because he was shifty.
He used to manage a Montana's restaurant chain where they served deliciousssss antojitos. Really good antojitos.
At the time of his employment at the restaurant we didn’t see Uncle Shifty on a regular basis, but when we did he’d sometimes show up with an antojito or two. Once for Christmas he showed up with 30 of the snacks.
Sadly I didn’t have room in my freezer for them so I gave away 5 steaks to free up space. Yes. They're that good.
Every time I got one of those crispy slices of creamy spiced Mexican perfection I’d scarf it down, throw my hands in the air and scream “done!”, Survivor-style. The drawback to this (aside from looking like a lunatic) was I never took the time to actually look inside one to see what made it taste so good.
So after years … and I mean years of asking Uncle Shifty what was in these chain restaurant antijitos I got the entire recipe. Or more specifically earned the entire recipe. It was a struggle on many levels.
When Uncle Shifty would call the house I'd ask about the antojitos. One phone call with him I might get the first 3 ingredients and then a story about his new car.
The second phone call I might get the oven temperature and a recap of his latest sexual escapade. This went on and on. I heard a lot of things I didn’t need to know in order to get this recipe and now I’d like to share it with you. The recipe that is, not the accompanying stories.
You do not want those.
Table of Contents
What are antojitos??
Don’t know what an antojito is? Don’t worry about it. If you like tasty, delicious appetizer treats you’ll like em. You dip them in sour cream!
They're the ultimate finger food full of diced vegetables, hot sauce, peppers and lots of cheddar and cream cheese. Best of all you can eat them with one hand while jumping up and down on the couch, while leaving your other hand available for holding a beer. This is a virtue that comes in handy during Superbowl season.
A tortilla gets slathered with cream cheese first, and then you start piling on the rest of the toppings.
Add finely diced peppers and onions over the cream cheese.
You can never go wrong with a handful of cheddar cheese. Ever.
Then it's just a matter of rolling them up like a cigar and baking them in the oven.
I make a TON of these for every Christmas Eve. I always fully intend to serve them all but at the last minute throw ¾'s of them in the freezer for myself when no one is looking.
They're that good. They're greedy good.
Montana's Antojitos Recipe
Antojitos
Ingredients
- 8 large Flour tortillas white crisps up the best but whole wheat if you lean that way
- 1 package Cream cheese either spreadable, or regular left out to soften a bit
- 16 Pickled jalapeno peppers diced very fine
- 2 jalapeno peppers diced very fine
- 1 red pepper diced very fine
- 1 red onion diced very, very small
- 1 bunch green onions sliced very thin
- 1.5 cups Shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 bunch Parsley chopped fine
- Hot sauce Melinda’s is the actual brand used in the chain, if you can’t find it use Tabasco, or Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
Instructions
- Spread tortilla with a layer of cream cheese. Not too little, not too much.
- Dot with hot sauce. Use a lot of you like things hot, use little if you don't. Using a small icing spatula or knife, spread the hot sauce out over the whole tortilla so it’s even.
- Systematically top with remaining ingredients. Because you have so many ingredients, you don’t need to load them on. Just a nice amount. Your tortilla should be filled with toppings but not so full they're building up over each other. Go easy on the jalapenos if you don’t like too much heat.
- Roll the tortilla up like a cigar. A big fat cream cheese filled cigar.
- Lay seam side down on a cookie sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes at 350 degrees. For extra crispiness brush the antojitos with olive oil before cooking.
- Once the antojito is cooked and has cooled slightly, slice on the diagonal into 6 to 8 pieces. Serve with sour cream.
Notes
Nutrition
There are things I now know about Uncle Shifty that I can never unknow so please, do me a favour and share this recipe with everyone you know. It will ease my mind to know that what I have endured will have helped at least one person to have a tasty snack.
My mind is even FURTHER eased by the fact that this year? I might not have to share them at all.
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"Uncle Shifty"....I really did laugh out loud at that. Gonna start using that nickname for my uncle...the one we currently refer to as "Drunkle" because, well, he likes to drink....a lot. Hahaha
We have a “Thanksgiving Uncle”.
Sounds like Uncle Drunkie and Uncle Shifty could become fast friends. Or get into a bar fight with each other. ~ karen!
These look so good, and my life is conducive to trying new recipes again, so I'm gonna try these soon. I should've checked your blog last year when I had NO idea what to do with the jalapeños I grew last year. (It's good I only had like 3 as the deer got to them first.... this year it's fence time, so I can grow food for us, instead of solely for the local fauna.)
I don't know whether to kiss the ground you walk on or curse your name forever for introducing me to such an irresistable snack. So...I guess both.
Omg! I love your instructions which I find hilarious.... perhaps add a line. ‘Use brain’.