Almost Sicilian Fire Stix

Almost Sicilian Fire Stix

My husband and I miss the Johnny Carino's that shut down just about a mile from our house.  We used to love going to the bar on Friday nights, ordering up a glass of wine and splitting an order of their Sicilian Fire Stix and a plate of Lasagna.  The building that the restaurant occupied is still vacant, so every time we drive by, we think about those delicious din-dins!

One of my favorite things to do is to re-create my favorite restaurant dishes with a healthy, fun and easy twist.  This was the perfect opportunity to do so, since we simply couldn't get the real thing right down the street.  Chicken sausage, turkey pepperoni and uncured, nitrate-free bacon are just a few of the healthier ingredient options I used without sacrificing ANY of the flavor.  I would have loved to have used a tomato-basil tortilla like the original restaurant recipe called for, but I couldn't find them at any of my local grocery stores.  I opted for a whole wheat tortilla this time, but I think a spinach tortilla next time might add just a little more flavor and add some needed green color to the recipe for a kicked up presentation.

Almost Sicilian Fire Stix 

Prep Time: 20 minutes / Cook Time: 30 minutes / Servings: 6

Ingredients:

• 6 slices uncured, nitrate-free bacon, chopped
• 5 chicken breast tenders, chopped
• 2 Spicy Italian Chicken Sausage links, chopped
• 4 oz. turkey pepperoni, chopped
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 2 Roma Tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
• 4 large basil leaves, chopped
• 1cup Shredded Italian Four Cheese blend
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. red chile flake
• salt and pepper
• 6 whole wheat, spinach or tomato basil tortillas

INGREDIENT TIP:  TRADER JOE'S HAS THE NITRATE-FREE BACON, TURKEY PEPPERONI AND THE CHICKEN SAUSAGE AT VERY REASONABLE PRICES.

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray a large, glass baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a large skillet, cook the chopped bacon for 3-4 minutes on high heat.  
3. Add chopped chicken tenders, chopped red bell pepper,  chopped Italian Sausage, garlic powder, and red chile flake.  Season with salt and pepper, stir until combined, reduce heat to medium and continue to cook for about 7 minutes, until chicken and sausage are cooked through.
4. Add chopped pepperoni, chopped tomatoes, chopped scallions and chopped basil.  Stir until all ingredients are combined and continue to cook another 2-3 minutes.
5. Add cheese and stir until melted and combined, about 2 minutes.
6. Spoon 1/6 of the chicken mixture lengthwise into the center of one of the tortillas. Wrap the tortilla around the chicken mixture and place it seam side down in the baking dish.  Repeat with the other 5 tortillas.  
7. Spray the fire stix with cooking spray and cook in the oven at 375 for about 15-20 minutes, until the tortillas are crispy and golden brown.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes.
8. TO SERVE:  Cut the fire stix on a diagonal angle, showing the inner contents of the fire stix.  Arrange on a platter and serve with warm Marinara Sauce or Ranch Dressing (or both!) 

Almost Sicilian Fire Stix