Chicken Quesadillas are one of my "go to" dinners. I pack them full of chicken and veggies, go lightly on the cheese, and they end up being actually quite healthy. It seems strange to write out a recipe for this Mexican hand food, because essentially, you just assemble whatever ingredients you like onto a tortilla, and then grill it for a few minutes and it is ready to enjoy. Here is my version, but feel free to customize to your heart's content. I try to do the chopping and prep work ahead of time so these can be assembled, heated, and then served immediately. Homemade guacamole (see recipe in appetizers), tortilla chips, and quesadillas are a dynamite combination for dinner!
Chicken & Veggie Quesadillas
1 seasoned rotisserie chicken, meat picked from the bones
10 - 8 inch soft flour tortillas
2 bell peppers, red, green, yellow or orange, thinly sliced
1/2 large, sweet onion, thinly sliced
2 ears of sweet corn, with kernels cut from the cobs
1 jalapeño pepper, seeds and membranes removed, finely minced
1/2 bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
2 cups shredded cheese (I like a combo of cheddar and monterey jack)
prepared salsa
Prepare the chicken: pull the meat from the bones and shred into bite sized pieces. This will be more chicken than you need; you will have a cup or so left over to use in something else. If you prefer, you can substitute grilled, boneless chicken breasts that have been seasoned with taco seasoning and then sliced thinly into strips. Refrigerate until ready to assemble.
Fresh corn is optional, but I think the crunch and texture it gives the quesadillas is a wonderful addition. Husk the corn, cut the kernels off the cobs with a sharp knife, and cook for a few minutes in a skillet with a little olive oil over medium heat; season with salt and pepper and spoon into a bowl.
In the skillet over medium heat, drizzle a bit of olive oil and add the onion and pepper slices. Sprinkle with 1 or more teaspoons each of cumin and taco seasoning and stir to combine; cook for 5-7 minutes until vegetables are softened and blackened in places. Squeeze with juice from 1/2 lime and remove to a bowl.
Line up all the ingredients, assembly line fashion. Place the ingredients only on half of each tortilla, as you will be folding them in half to grill on the griddle. Try not to overload the tortillas, so the end product holds together. Start with the peppers and onion, dividing it among the ten tortillas. Next, add the chicken, corn, minced jalapeño, cilantro, a little spoon of salsa, and finally a bit of cheese. Fold each tortilla in half and carefully place them on a griddle, preheated over medium heat, with a bit of butter. In a few minutes, flip each quesadilla over, adding a bit more butter and grill the other side. Remove from the griddle and cut each in half with a large, sharp knife. Pile them on a platter with a bowl of sour cream and a bowl of salsa. Serve immediately. Makes 20 quesadillas.
To reheat, place a few quesadillas on a paper towel and microwave for half a minute, or heat in the oven on a piece of foil for 5 minutes.
