Easy Chicken Quesadillas

 

Another quick, easy and delicious recipe for you today.  Easy Chicken Quesadillas.  When it comes to quick weeknight meals, they don't get much better or quicker than Quesadillas.

Quesadillas are a type of Mexican sandwich I suppose. Flour tortillas folded over a filling and then pan toasted until the tortillas are crisp and the fillings heated through.

 

They can be as simple or as complicated as you want to make them.   Some nice cheese on its own is very nice, or you can go all out and fill them with a combination of meat, cheese and vegetables.

These chicken ones are a mix of bell peppers, onion, corn, cheese, some seasoning and chicken. Very basic as well, but don't let the simplicity of the ingredients fool you into thinking they are not really delicious!

 

These are nicely spiced without going over the top. I find as I get older, I am not overly fond of really spicy foods.  I don't want to eat anything that is going to be keeping me up all night with heartburn!

This is a recipe I adapted from a page called Easy Chicken Recipes.  Every recipe on that page is chicken related!  Chicken really is a very versatile meat!  I actually prefer it over red meat.

 

Chicken breasts are especially versatile. Their mild flavor easily takes on board just about anything you want to put with them.  Chicken thighs are a bit gamier.  I like them both.

These quesadillas are so quick and easy to make, making them the perfect meal to prepare when you don't have a lot of time or energy to cook.  They are also fairly economical.  

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE EASY CHICKEN QUESADILLAS 

One thing I really liked about this recipe was that no really special ingredients were required. It used things I normally have in my refrigerator and larder.  

• 2 10-inch soft flour tortillas
• 2 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/3 tsp chili pepper (or to taste)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 1 TBS light olive oil
• 1/2 red bell pepper, trimmed and chopped
• 1/2 yellow bell pepper, trimmed and chopped
• 1 TBS butter
• 4 TBS frozen corn, thawed and drained
• 1 cup (120g) grated cheddar cheese

To serve: (all optional)

• Prepared salsa
• Sour cream
• Chopped spring onions
• Guacamole
• Lime wedges
• 6 Torn Coriander

 

Flour tortillas are something I always keep in my freezer. (They last longer there.)  I can remember when my children were growing up I used to have to make my own tortillas from scratch as they were not readily available in Canada at that time, or at least not where I lived.  

They are now very common. I prefer the wheat flour tortillas over the corn tortillas I admit. I will sometimes use whole wheat ones, but usually I just use the plain white ones.

I also always have chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, in my freezer. I buy them a large package at a time and then separate them out individually, double bagging them and then popping them into a larger plastic freezer container. This helps protect against freezer burn and I can take out as many as I like at any given time.

 

It works out a lot cheaper to do this than to buy packages of loose packed  frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts. As a person who lives on their own, this is what is practical for me.

If you wanted to add more color you could use chopped spring onions.  They would also add a pop of color.  The original recipe used green peppers, but they are not that easy to digest when you get older.

The ingredients are fairly simple and uncomplicated. You can go hog crazy on the accompaniments however!  I always like salsa, sour cream and lime wedges.  Sometimes I like to use the Green Tabasco sauce. It has a lovely jalapeno flavor.

 

HOW TO MAKE EASY CHICKEN QUESADILLAS

These are really very simple to make and make for a quick, easy and delicious midweek supper!

Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet. Add peppers and onions. Cook, stirring over low heat until nicely softened. Scoop out and set aside.

Add the butter to the pan and melt. Heat until foaming. Add the cubed chicken and spices. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the chicken is cooked through. Stir in the corn and tomatoes.

Using a clean skillet heat one tortilla each side until very lightly toasted.

Layering on one half of the tortilla add 1/2 of the cheese, 1/2 of the onion/pepper mixture, and 1/2 of the chicken mixture. Flip the other half of the tortilla over top to cover. Cook over low heat until the cheese has melted and everything is heated through.

Remove from the skillet, cut into three triangles, and keep warm in a low oven. Repeat with the other tortilla.

Serve hot with your favorite accompaniments!

 

I love Quesadillas and cook them often.  If you are like me, you might also enjoy the following Quesadilla recipes!

BREAKFAST WAFFLE QUESADILLAS -  These are really very easy to do.  First you scramble some eggs.  I like to add a bit of chopped onion and bell pepper to mine, both for color and for flavor and crunch! Layered between two tortillas with some cheese and bacon and grilled in a waffle iron until crispy golden brown. Lots of crispy little divots to hold your salsa and sour cream. Yum!

MONTEREY CHICKEN QUESADILLAS - Quick and easy to make baked Quesadillas, filled with plenty of cheese, BBQ chicken, bacon and onion. Brushed with butter and baked to crispy perfection. Ready to enjoy with all your favorite fixings!  I could easily pig out on these!!

Yield: 3

Author: Marie Rayner

Easy Chicken Quesadillas

Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 25 MinTotal time: 30 Min

Quick, easy and deliciously loaded with plenty of chicken, peppers and melted cheese. Perfect for dipping in salsa and sour cream. These make a really delicious midweek supper.

Ingredients

• 2 10-inch soft flour tortillas
• 2 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/3 tsp chili pepper (or to taste)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 1 TBS light olive oil
• 1/2 red bell pepper, trimmed and chopped
• 1/2 yellow bell pepper, trimmed and chopped
• 1 TBS butter
• 4 TBS frozen corn, thawed and drained
• 1 cup (120g) grated cheddar cheese

To serve: (all optional)

• Prepared salsa
• Sour cream
• Chopped spring onions
• Guacamole
• Lime wedges
• 6 Torn Coriander

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet. Add peppers and onions. Cook, stirring over low heat until nicely softened. Scoop out and set aside.
2. Add the butter to the pan and melt. Heat until foaming. Add the cubed chicken and spices. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the chicken is cooked through. Stir in the corn and tomatoes.
3. Using a clean skillet heat one tortilla each side until very lightly toasted.
4. Layering on one half of the tortilla add 1/2 of the cheese, 1/2 of the onion/pepper mixture, and 1/2 of the chicken mixture. Flip the other half of the tortilla over top to cover. Cook over low heat until the cheese has melted and everything is heated through.
5. Remove from the skillet, cut into three triangles, and keep warm in a low oven.
6. Repeat with the other tortilla.
7. Serve hot with your favorite accompaniments!

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