THIS right here is the genuine, authentic recipe for Montana’s famous antojitos. It’s not a copycat, not a guestimate recipe, this is the real deal. You will LOVE these gooey, delicious morsels.
The same extravaganza that brought us Janet Jackson, Prince, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Madonna, anddddd The Who is bringing us … Maroon 5.
Um.
So I won’t be watching the Superbowl this year but I know a lot of other people will be because they actually watch it for the football. THIS snack is a MUST eat whether you’re going to a Super Bowl party or just sitting on your own couch for the game.
It was a bit of a “thing” for me to get this recipe so I do hope you’ll make it.
There was a certain fella in my extended family. We’ll call him … Uncle Shifty. Not for any reason in particular. It just suited him. Well, Uncle Shifty used to manage a Montana’s restaurant chain where they served deliciousssss antojitos. Really good antojitos. Don’t know what an antojito is? Don’t worry about it. If you like tasty, delicious appetizer treats you’ll like em.
They’re like the ultimate Super Bowl food. They’re spicy, filling and you can eat them with your fingers while screaming and jumping up and down on the couch, STILL leaving your other hand for holding a beer.
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 room. Yes. They’re that good.
Every time I got one of those crispy tubes 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. On one condition; you scarf it down … the first one anyway.
These antojitos are given their creaminess in the best possible way – with cream cheese!
Then you have a bunch of very finely diced peppers and onions.
A handful of gooey, cheddar cheese and a few other things round them out.
Then it’s just a matter of rolling them up 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 3/4’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
These crispy on the outside, filled with flavour and gooey on the inside antijitos can either be a meal themselves, or a nice side to a Mexican meal. But what they're BEST for is an appetizer. These antojitos can be preassembled then frozen until you're ready to cook them.
- 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
- 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.
It’s important to dice all the ingredients very small and evenly so they cook through. If they’re too big they’ll be uncooked and crunchy. You may have some leftover ingredients (red onions and peppers) and may need to dice up some more (pickled jalapenos).
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.
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I get it. You only love me for my antojitos.
Yes.
As a former Manager of Montana’s Cookhouse myself, I must inform you that the steps in your recipe are incorrect.
The cream cheese is to be softened to a smooth texture over a double boiler. Cool for 10-15 minutes. Mix in chopped red pepper ( save some red pepper to sprinkle on tortillas later), jalapeno, red onion, hot sauce, parsley and seasoning salt.
Spread the mixture evenly over tortilla. Sprinkle approx 1 oz of red pepper and 1oz shredded marble cheddar over tortilla.
Roll tortilla. Score diagonally 6-8 times.
Brush with garlic butter.
Bake at 375 F for 12-14 minutes
Thanks! Going to try it and Karen’s recipe…may have a bake off!
there is just NO way you can go wrong with that recipe.I want that antojito NOW!
it’s me again.. can you use raw jalapenos?
Hi Drops of Jupiter! You’re right. There’s not a single thing about this recipe that sucks. Except for the stories I had to listen to while acquiring it.
Yes, the recipe actually calls for both pickled and raw, fresh jalapenos! Add as many as you want! And something I think I forgot to post is the fact that these suckers freezer perfectly! Just make them all up and wrap them in tin foil or Saran Wrap. It’s a bit of a “thing” to make them with all the dicing and chopping so it’s good to be able to have a few ready to go in the freezer. Just thaw, and cook as indicated. HOLY CRAP they’re good. I’d forgotten about them. 🙂
Karen, these are awesome! We did not use the fresh jalapenos, but used a pepper that was a little milder. I didn’t want to hear those pesky kids whine about how their mouths were on fire and they were going to die and all that. These will definitely be on our regular menu! Thanks for telling me about them.
I’m happy you liked the antojitos! It’s hard ’cause it isn’t an actual recipe so much as a “pinch of this, a pinch of that”. Glad it worked out for you.
That’s the way all my recipes are. Even if there is an actual recipe to follow, I add a pinch of this and that according to our likes. It makes it hard when someone wants a recipe of mine because it never is done the same way twice and so much is, “it needs a little more of this…” I just know when it tastes right. Thanks again.
THANK YOU!! I’ve been searching for the recipe for these forever.
I just found your blog today (silly me) and I love it 🙂
You’re welcome! Good luck with them. They’re d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s.
THANK YOU SOOO MUCH! I love these.. i am going to make them for a small party in a few days!
You’re welcome! I know. They’re GREAT. 🙂 I just found my one and final antojito in the freezer tonight. Must make another batch. They freeze absolutely perfectly!! ~ karen
One week ago I discovered this blog. And now I have read every post. So NOW I can decorate the house and bake my Christmas cookies. If there were more posts, Christmas would just have to wait.
Well! I’m glad I didn’t have anymore posts then. They will start up again on Monday though so you’d better get baking. And decorating. ~ karen
I also used to work at the previously mentioned chain restaurant, and these things were surely my favourite!! Hot, cold, or stale, I would eat them every chance I got. You have no idea how excited I was when I stumbled across this recipe!! My husband just adores them and requests them on a more than regular basis!! Thanks so much!
PS. For a less spicy but utterly tasty alternative. Try using bacon, spinach and roasted tomatoes. Delish!
The recipe sounds decadent and perfect for a six pack of Dos Equis. One question: “…these suckers freezer perfectly.” Is freezer a verb in Canada??
You have no idea how freaking excited my husband is that I have this recipe now. But now I wish I’d kept it a secret and just made these sometime. Ah well. Either way you made a good man very happy.
Justine – Excellent. Good men should be kept happy. But yes, I only make them as a treat. I also tend to make a whole whack of them (20 or so) and freeze them so I can just pull em out. Glad you like the copycat recipe! Well, not copycat so much as the exact recipe. 🙂 ~ karen
Thanks so much for this recipe! My boyfriend and I LOVE anti jilts and I have been looking for the perfect antijito recipe for years!! Trying this one this second! Although I don’t have fresh jalapeños so I guess that little detail will have to wait for the next batch!
Hi Kristen – I think you’re gonna like em. 🙂 You can brush them with olive oil before cooking to help them crisp up a bit. ~ karen!
I’m about to make these for our annual Superbowl party. But a friend who lives 45 minutes away is hosting this year. So, do these travel well? Do I need to reheat when I get there? Is it better to cook them here instead?
Amy – You can do either. You can cook them first and reheat them there in a very hot oven, or you can wait and cook them there if your friend has oven space to devote to them. Just roll them all up and put them close together in a Tupperware container or Ziploc baggie so they don’t unroll. To make sure they get crisp, brush a little vegetable or olive oil on them before you put them in the oven. Have fun! ~ karen
Wow, Karen, that was fast reply! You responded in the time it took me to make my grocery store run. Thank you! I’m sure these will be a big hit!
Unbelievable! My 9-year old son and I first tasted antojitos at a popular local restaurant in Brockville, Ontario. While at a grocery store this afternoon, we thought we would take a crack at making some for ourselves and Google led us to this great recipe on my phone. These antojitoa will be a staple for us for quite some time. Thanks for sharing!
Excellent. glad you like them. They’re really good aren’t they, lol? ~ karen!
My daughter also worked at the restaurant that makes these. The recipe is very similar but all the veggies are put right into the cream cheese. Here it is (and it makes a LOT):
Antojito’s
2 lbs cream cheese
4 oz diced red pepper
4 oz minced jalapeno peppers
2 oz chopped green onion
½ oz finely chopped fresh parsley
4 oz bread crumbs
2 fl oz hot sauce
pinch of salt and pepper
10 large tortilla shells
10 oz shredded cheddar cheese
Set the oven to 375 F. Heat the cream cheese in the microwave until soft, making sure it doesn’t burn or “cook”. Mix all ingredients after the cream cheese is soft except for the cheddar cheese. Put 3 oz of the mix onto a tortilla shell and spread evenly over the shell to half an inch of the edge. Add 1 oz shredded cheese over the mixture and roll. Make even cuts about half way through the shell and coat with a bit of butter to brown. Put in the oven for approx. 10 or until golden brown. Take the antojito’s out of the oven and slice through the cuts completely. Serve with sour cream and a dollop of basil pesto.
my wife worked at montana’s and i copied the ingredients off the menu and have made them a bunch of times and everyone has raved about these appetisers they are easy to make and delicious and i mix all ingredients in a large bowl then scoop onto tortilla and roll its easier enjoy!
Good thinkin’ Dave. ~ karen!
Karen,
It calls for jalapeño pepers and “red pepers”. What kinda nd of pepers that are red? Red jalapeño? Red chili’s? Red sorano peppers? I’m confused.
Tina
Red bell peppers. So a regular, sweet (not hot) red pepper. ~ karen!
If I’m taking antijitos to a party do I slice them first and then cook them ? Or do I have to cook them rolled ? I’m ecstatic to have this recipe and just want to know the best way to bring them to the party
Hi Joan, you cook the antijitos as a whole roll. Then once they’ve cooled a bit you slice them. If I were taking them to a party I’d cook them, let them cool a tiny bit so they don’t smush when you slice them. Then I’d slice them, wrap them in tin foil and bring them to the party like that. ~ karen!
Great recipe. Great tips. You are hilarious.
Thanks Patrick. It is a pretty good recipe isn’t it. In fact … I have a couple in the freezer right now and no plans for dinner. I wasn’t inviting you to dinner. I was just realizing I could have antojitos tonight. 😉 ~ karen!
Hey there, for those who love these tasty buggers but can’t take the heat, my wife makes a version that leaves out the hot sauce and the jalapeños, and she mixes the cream cheese with mashed potatoes. It makes a nice filling and also uses up leftover taters. Personally, I like the hot stuff, but with the hot flashes she says she doesn’t need it. Enjoy;
I too have worked at the aforementioned chain and honestly couldn’t stand making them, but loved to eat them. I actually like to make it as a dip, mixing all the ingredient, placing in the oven and eating with tortilla chips. I would say though, add some bread crumbs to the mix, it helps to absorb the oils released from the cheese!
Good tip. Thanks! ~ karen
These are the bomb. I LOVE them.
I always like to have a few rolled up in the freezer! ~ karen
Love your comments about Uncle Shifty. I plan on heading to the grocery this evening to try your recipe with the assistance of my daughter. Sounds fun and delish. Although, I won’t be eating them while watching the Superbowl this year as i am a Saints fan. 🙁
Sorry bout the Saints! I don’t follow football but I know it was close! ~ karen!
I’ve been too lazy to try my grain free tortilla recipe. I think this will be a perfect test run for it!
You haven’t been lazy, you’ve been busy. There’s a difference. ~ karen!
Thanks for all you endured to get this recipe, Karen! My husband loves ANY food with jalapeño and Frank’s Hot sauce in it so I cannot wait to try out this recipe Super Bowl or no Super Bowl. I’m a newbie here and I love love love your blog. You always make me smile.
Thanks Lee Ann. Welcome and enjoy! ~ karen
And this is why I follow you… I’d never heard of Montana’s restaurant or Antojitos. Thanks to you, I’m a little smarter (and possibly a little fatter after I try these) today.
Thanks to Uncle Shifty for sharing. This is my kind of food.
If you freeze them, do you thaw them before baking? If you bake them frozen, do you adjust the time and/or temperature? Thanks!
Well, I know what I’m making for the next hippie night soiree!
PS – you forgot about Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers – best Super Bowl halftime ever, in my humble opinion…
Hi Karen. I am not one to comment, maybe I should be. However, you need to know how much I enjoy you, your blog, your sense of humor (like mine) , the stories (God bless Uncle Shifty) and now this!!! I will probably eat these things till I founder on them! 🙂 Keep on being a continual amusement, source of humor and joy!
Hi Linda!! Yes, that seems like a good way to go. Death by antojito, lol. ~ karen!
I have made these following your recipe and they are addictive! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for letting me know Robyn! ~ karen
Ok, am I completely crazy or did you post this recipe like at least 5 years ago?
If not, I’m having the strangest deja vu ever…
8 years ago! I redid all the photos because it was one of the first posts I ever wrote and the photos were dismal, lol! I also rewrote some of it and entered the recipe into a printable version etc. etc. Updated it all to make it better basically. 🙂 ~ karen!
Delicious!
We had it for dinner two nights ago, plus some shredded chicken so I could feel good about calling it dinner. Then I made it again for breakfast for myself yesterday. Then took the remaining chopped ingredients with some extra goop and made a stir fry out of it for lunch. Not much of it left for lunch today, but I’m looking forward to it!
Thank you for your self-sacrifice in bringing us this treasure!
I’m glad you appreciate the struggle I had to go through. 😉 Happy you enjoyed it! ~ karen!
Here’s my address, could you overnight a couple dozen of Uncle Shifty’s prize appetizer antojitos please? Thanks I knew I could count on you Karen, you’re a dream.
Love ya lots,
Aunt Ruthie.
211 Bass Drive
Las Vegas, Nevada
89074
Done. They’ll be there before … the end of the decade. Can I get an amen? ~ karen!
Karen
911!!!!
What is in the dip-it looks tasty and if you are using it it must be good! I promised my husband dip with these for the Super Bowl. Im sure it has sour cream-anything else?
Bless you and your blog!
LOL, hi Lolla! The dip just has a drizzle of regular olive oil on it BUT if you want to add something to the sour cream, find yourself (or make) basil oil and drizzle the top of the sour cream with that. For me, sour cream is the best dip for them because it’s cool, crispness cuts the heat of the antojitos. Just add the basil oil! 🙂 ~ karen!
Exactly what I needed to know. Thank you! We will be feasting on these along with slow cooker pizza meatballs and onion, mushroom and cheese puff pastry