I get on kicks. My latest is quesadillas.
A month ago, I made a wonderful black bean, Ranch, rotisserie chicken quesadilla, then a Mediterranean inspired quesadilla and I have several more in the works.
The charm of the quesadilla is it’s quick, easy, versatile and delicious.
It’s portable so you can eat it on the go as a snack, but also filling enough to enjoy it for dinner.
If you’re watching your carb intake, you can substitute a high protein, low carb wrap for the tortilla shell.
A classic quesadilla is common street fare all over in Mexico. You can fill it with any variety of cheeses, meats, vegetables and use corn, black corn, white or wheat flour tortillas. There are tremendous possibilities.
It’s a great way to use leftover barbecue meats, too. I nestle shredded barbecue pork in a tortilla, top it with cheese, cilantro, chopped red onion, and grill it. Then I serve it with barbecue sauce and sour cream. It’s delightful.
And you don’t have to know much about cooking to create a delicious quesadilla.
My biggest tip is when making a quesadilla that is stuffed with other ingredients, cook it cheese side down first so it has a chance to melt and the cheese doesn’t fall out when you flip it.
Use a nonstick pan or a skillet to make quesadillas. If you’re feeding a crowd, a pancake griddle works beautifully to cook several at the same time (if you have a family, a griddle is a great choice).
Here are two AMAZING and easy recipes:
The goat cheese quesadilla is tossed with green salsa and cuddles up to bell peppers and chicken. It’s one of my favorites as the creamy, tangy goat cheese contrast beautifully with a trio of bell peppers. Goat cheese is also less fattening and I like the fact that my recipe includes veggies. This is a single serving recipe, so perfect for a snack or someone who lives solo.
My bacon and chicken is about as easy as it gets and takes less than 10 minutes from start to finish. This is basic quesadilla with rotisserie chicken, bacon pieces, cheese and a dash of cumin. I grill it and serve it with salsa and guacamole.
I hope you enjoy these.
Goat Cheese, Chicken and Tri-Pepper Quesadilla
Serves 1
1 medium size tortilla
Cooking spray
1/3 cup of assorted sliced bell peppers, red, green and yellow or orange
¼ cup of soft goat cheese
1 1/2 tablespoons green salsa
Dash of ground cumin
1/3 cup sliced or chopped rotisserie chicken breast
Guacamole or green salsa for serving
First, slice assorted bell peppers and heat a nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. When hot, add the bell peppers and cook 3-5 minutes until they reach desired tenderness. Salt the peppers and remove from heat.
In a bowl, stir together the goat cheese and green salsa until combined. Then spread the mixture over half of a tortilla. Top with chicken and bell peppers. Then sprinkle a dash of ground cumin on the other side of the tortilla and fold over to make a half moon.
Spray a nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat it over medium heat. Add the folded tortilla and cook about 2-3 minutes per side, until slightly crisp. Slice and serve with green salsa or guacamole.
Chicken and Bacon Quesadilla
Makes 2 snacks or 1 meal size
2 medium size flour tortillas
1 chicken breast
½ cup shredded Mexican style cheese
2 heaping teaspoons real bacon pieces
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin or cumin seed
Cooking spray
Guacamole for serving
Salsa for serving
Cilantro to garnish
Cut the chicken breast off the rotisserie chicken, discard and skin and slice the breast. Then divide those pieces in half.
Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat.
Place half the cheese on half of each tortilla. Top with chicken, bacon and cumin. Fold the other half of the tortilla over to make a half moon. Then place in skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes per side.
Serve with salsa and guacamole.