The Best Quesadillas Ever with Fire Roasted Salsa (she: Tieghan)

I know many of you Or So She Says readers are busy mom’s with picky little eaters! I may not have any kids myself, but I have brothers. Five to be exact. They’re picky. Like really, really picky. So I am not going to give you some complicated recipe with things your kids will NOT eat! Who on Earth wants to deal with that on a busy school night? Not you!

Nope, today I got one cheesy, crispy quesadilla that is sure to win everyone over. No seriously, it will. Whenever my two younger brother’s get the chance (and by whenever, I mean all the time) this is what they ask me to make. I am pretty sure they could eat them everyday for a week. No, actually I know they could. That and sesame seed bagels (but only Einsteins), boy do they love their bagels! Of course they’ll skip that green avocado.

You want to know the secret to a dang good quesadilla? Don’t over stuff them, make them in half circles instead of a full circle and throw in some rice. This will ensure a warm filling, crispy tortilla and easier flipping!

These are great for after school snacks, a fun Mexican dinner, or even as an appetizer cut up into small triangles! Triple winner! If you are looking for other great family meals check out my Kung Poa Chicken or super easy Crockpot Sweet and Spicy Chicken Tacos! Need dessert? Oh, don’t worry I got you covered! How about some Homemade Peanut Butter Oreo’s!

 
Loaded Chicken Taco Quesadillas with Fire Roasted Salsa
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 4 quesadilla halves ( 2 whole circles)

Ingredients:

· 2 tablespoon olive oil, plus a little more for the pan
· 4 tablespoons of your favorite taco seasoning, divided
· 3 boneless skinless chicken breast (or you can sub two grilled chicken breast)
· 1 cup cooked rice (white or brown)
· 1 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded
· 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
· 4 large flour tortilla’s
· 1 avocado, sliced for serving

Salsa

· 1 can (14 oz) Fire Roasted Tomatoes
· 1/2 cup fresh cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
· 1/2 cup white onion, chopped
· 2 cloves garlic, chopped
· 1 whole jalapeno, chopped (remove some of the seeds if you want a mild salsa)
· 2 chipotle peppers in adobo
· 1 tablespoon of the adobo sauce
· 1 tsp salt
· 1 tsp pepper
· 1/2 cup cilantro or 2 tablespoons dried cilantro
· 1 lime, juiced

Instructions:

1. To prepare the salsa combine all ingredients in the food processor or blender.
2. Pulse until everything is evenly blended.
3. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed.
4. Remove from food processor or blender and refrigerate.
5. For the quesadillas heat your grill to medium high heat, you can also use a grill pan. Place the chicken in a bowl and toss with the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the taco seasoning. Grill the chicken for 5-7 minutes on both sides or until cooked through. Allow to cool five minutes and then chop into bite size pieces.
6. Working with one tortilla at a time spread about 1/4 cup of the pepper jack cheese on one half of the tortilla, layer that with about a 1/4 cup of rice. Add 1/4 of the chopped chicken and sprinkle that with about 1/4 of the remaining taco seasoning (the more the better!). Spread about 1/4 cup of cheddar cheese over the chicken and gently fold the other half of the tortilla over. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and ingredients.
7. Heat a large skillet to medium heat and add just a little olive oil to the pan. Cook each quesadilla for 3-4 minutes on each side or until the cheese has melted and the tortillas are crispy.
8. Cut into wedges and serve with avocados and salsa if desired.