Quesadillas

I have decided I absolutely love quesadillas. We've made them several times lately and it's like our version of taco night. Everyone gets to make their quesadilla their way, and we all have very different ideas as to what constitutes "perfect". I like to throw mine in the frying pan so the tortilla part gets all toasty, golden brown, and crispy. DH likes to microwave his so it gets all chewy. The kids... well, whatever. The Youngest, aka The Wild Child, will make himself a PB&J sandwich for some crazy reason, but he does that a lot and I try not to look. The Eldest can usually con The Middle Child into making one for her, toasty like mine, then The Middle Child makes one for herself, and hers are different every time. For fillings, we can make this a vegetarian meal (which we did last night to make up for eating chicken on Meatless Monday) by heating up a can of vegetarian refried beans, or we can use whatever leftover meat we have on hand. For additional fillings I like caramelized onions and sauteed portabella mushrooms along with whatever fresh veggies DH chops up. DH likes just the fresh veggies for his, diced bell pepper, shredded carrots, diced onion, zucchini, tomatoes, whatever we have on hand. Then we top it with cheese, of course. I picked up some quesadilla cheese at the grocery store yesterday (didn't know they made such a thing until yesterday when I was considering the Queso Blanco cheese) and we tried that; it was pretty good! (In the past we've also used Colby Jack or cheddar; whatever cheese floats your boat.)

To assemble, I first spray my tortilla with a canola oil spray on both sides then throw it in a non-stick frying pan to start toasting. (I used to use butter but didn't want the extra calories, so I tried the spray and it worked beautifully.) Once I get the first side warmed up (I don't completely toast the inside) I flip it and put on my fillings, starting with the refried beans, which we heat beforehand, then the onions and mushrooms, then any other veggies, throw on the cheese, fold it over, then flip as needed to let the cheese melt and the tortilla finish toasting. (I use one tortilla, fillings go on one half then fold over; you could also use two tortillas, fillings go across the whole bottom tortilla and top with a second tortilla, but you'd have to partially toast the second tortilla before you get started, I'm thinking.) (And it would be quite a challenge to flip.) DH assembles his on an uncooked tortilla then zaps it in the microwave. (His way is a lot easier, but I love that toastiness from the frying pan so it's worth the extra work.) I cut mine in half and savor every delicious crunchy, gooey, yummy bite. When we make it with the refried beans, this is one of my all time favorite vegetarian meals. As long as you don't go too crazy with the cheese, this is also a super healthy low cal meal, too. Can't beat that!

A Food Post! Leftover Chicken Quesadillas

And my own recipe! I so have to start taking pics like the food bloggers do, you know, here's a lovely picture of the ingredients with a few sprigs of something green, here's a lovely pic of step one, followed by a charming pic of step two, all the way to, ta da, a mouth watering photo shopped picture of the finished product. Yep, that's what I need to do. Yep, I'll get right on it. In the meantime, how about just the recipe? Actually it probably isn't original since it's some pretty basic quesadilla ingredients, but I've never seen it written down anywhere so I claim it!

Leftover Chicken Quesadillas

1 flour tortilla per person
1 large sweet onion
1 bell pepper (I prefer red, yellow, or orange)
olive oil, enough to cook the onions and pepper in
butter, enough to toast the quesadilla with
leftover chicken pulled apart into smallish pieces or strips (mine was from the slow cooker recipe for Saucy Italian Chicken Thighs so it was a little tomato-y)
shredded cheese (your choice; I like Colby-jack)

Start by slicing the onion and bell pepper into strips. Pour a little olive oil in a frying pan and get it heated up. (But not too much- you don't want the olive oil to burn.) Add the onion and pepper strips and cook over medium to medium high heat until nicely browned, caramelized, and yummy. (Patience; it takes a while, and it's really helpful to have little ones eager to assist by stirring occasionally.) I also throw on a lid so it's lower maintenance, and stir every few minutes as I'm moving around the kitchen. Once they are done set them aside.

Put a little bit of butter in a non-stick frying pan and swirl it around as it melts. Once the butter is covering the bottom of the pan add a tortilla. Toast it for a few minutes, turning a time or two if you'd like, then, on one half only, add a layer of chicken, some of the caramelized onions and peppers, and a sprinkle of cheese. Fold over the other half and continue cooking, turning once more, until it's all golden and toasty and the cheese is a little melty. Slide it out onto a plate and cut in half. (Or quarters, whatever.) Best eaten immediately, even if the kids are clamoring for you to help them make their pizza, since they are heathens and turn their noses up at quesadillas.

And, OK, so I don't have a photo, so you'll have to trust me, this is one delicious quesadilla. It's crispy on the outside with a sweetness to the flour tortilla, then you get the taste of the chicken and the other fillings in your mouth along with that slight crunch, and it's all about the mouth... yummmm.