I think every family has a favorite "Mexican spot." Who doesn't love chips, fresh salsa and a margarita? We do! We do! We absolutely love Mexican night! I talked once before about our favorite Mexican restaurant that is right up the street. We love this place because we can go during happy hour, stuff ourselves, and have a few brewskis all for about 15 buckaroos! What a steal!! However, when the waiters start to know who you are, it might be time to take a break from frequenting the Mexican restaurant two-three times a week. Due to our Mexican food obsession, tonight I am making quesadillas inspired by the meal that my husband orders each and every time we go to our favorite "Mexican spot."
First, I chop up one red onion and one green pepper.
Meanwhile, I heat about 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a fry pan over medium heat.
When the oil begins to ripple I add the vegetables to the fry pan. I also add a little salt and pepper and a couple pinches of chili powder and cumin. The chicken I will be adding is already seasoned, but I am a firm believer in seasoning every layer of your dish!
I saute the vegetables for about 6 minutes or until tender.
I then add the shredded chicken to the sauteed vegetables and heat through. The chicken is already cooked, so this only takes about 1 minute.
Note: I made the chicken that I use in the recipe earlier this week. It was SO simple and if you would like to see how it was made then take a look at the blog titled, Picnic in My Kitchen: Day 1 of My Week of Meals. I love when I can use leftovers or make things in bulk. If you can cut down prep time for another meal then why wouldn't you do it? I am all about a shortcut, so I try to create them for myself as often as possible!
I place about 1 cup of the chicken and veggie mixture in the center of a burrito size soft taco shell.
Then I top with cheese..
...and fold in half. For some reason I have noticed that people just want to naturally smash things down when given the opportunity. A good way to get out some vented frustration, maybe? My husband is the king of smashing down his burgers while he is grilling. I always ask, "Why?!?" When you smash things down while you are cooking you are pushing out all of the delicious juices that are supposed to be left in. In other words, you are making a big mistake! Don't press on the quesadillas when you fold them in half; instead, let the melting cheese be your natural adhesive and keep all those yummy chicken juices trapped inside.
I forgot to take a picture while I was cooking the quesadilla, but I added about 1 more tablespoon of oil to the fry pan and cooked for about 1 minute on each side. Just enough time to get the cheese ooey, gooey and to add a crunchy exterior. Doesn't that look beautiful?
I used a pizza slicer to slice the quesadilla into even slices and then topped with homemade guacamole, fresh sliced tomatoes and green onion. You can use anything you have on hand...sour cream, jalapenos, more cheese...cilantro, lettuce, onions...
I served mine up with black beans and tortilla chips. Can you say, "Yes please!"
While making quesadillas we found out that Addison loves black beans! She couldn't get enough of them. She loves feeding herself these days and I am sick of buying overpriced baby food, so the more "big people" foods I can find that she will eat the happier I am. Tonight was a win, win, win in our household!
Happy baby + Happy daddy = Very happy mommy
Southern Quesadillas
Ingredients:
3 cooked and shredded chicken breast (I used the leftover chicken I made on barbecue night)
1 green pepper
1 red onion
6 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
2 pinches cumin
2 pinches chili powder
1 cup Mexican blend cheese
4 burrito size soft taco shells
Your choice toppings for the quesadillas
1. Chop the green pepper and onion into 1/4 inch strips. Meanwhile, warm up about 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a fry pan over medium heat.
2. When the oil begins to ripple add the chopped green pepper and onion.
3. Saute until slightly tender, about 6 minutes.
4. Add the pre-cooked chicken, cumin, chili powder and mix to incorporate.
5. Saute for an additional minute or until the chicken is warmed through.
6. Remove the chicken and vegetable mixture from the fry pan and set aside in a bowl.
7. Set the soft taco shells out in a row so you can quickly and evenly fill them with the chicken mixture.
8. Place about 1 cup of the chicken and vegetable mixture in the center of each soft taco.
9. Top the chicken mixture in each shell with about 1/4 cup cheese.
10. Fold the soft taco shells in half.
11. Meanwhile, wipe down the fry pan to remove any remaining pieces of chicken mixture. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to the pan and return the to the burner.
12. When the oil begins to ripple place one of the folded quesadillas in the fry pan. Fry the quesadilla for about 1 minute on each side or until the cheese is completely melted.
13. Remove the quesadilla and place in an 200 degree oven to keep warm while you repeat the process with the remaining quesadillas.
14. When you have finished cooking all the quesadillas use a pizza slicer to easily cut into even pieces. Roll the slicer from the folded side towards the open portion of the shell. You can cut it into as many pieces as you like!
15. Top with additional cheese, sour cream, lettuce, guacamole, tomatoes, ect.
16. Serve with black or refried beans and chips. Enjoy!
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