Easy Chicken & Cheese Quesadillas
Towards the end of the school week, I’m often looking for even more dinner simplicity than usual, BUT I still want it to taste good! My solution? These quick Chicken and Cheese Quesadillas that take only 5 minutes to cook in the skillet AND are another way to use Instant Pot chicken. No chicken on hand? No problem! Toss in drained black beans or another leftover protein from the fridge, as well as a handful of baby spinach.
Think you’re not a corn tortilla fan? You may just need to try to them slightly toasted in the skillet with a touch of oil or cooking spray. Once I discovered the skillet trick, there were no more flour tortillas. And in addition to their texture and flavor, corn tortillas are lower in calories and carbs and higher in fiber than flour tortillas. They also leave me feeling a lot more satisfied-feeling. I promise it’s worth giving them a try, but small taco-sized flour tortillas can also be used.
If you like quesadillas, be sure to check out another favorite of mine: Black Bean Quesadillas. Let me know what you think of this recipe by sharing your final product on social media! Be sure to tag me : Instagram @realfoodreallife_rd / Facebook @Real Food. Real Life. - Carolyn Williams, PHD, RD. Enjoy!
Easy Chicken & Cheese Quesadillas
Makes 2 Servings
No chicken on hand? No problem.! Toss in drained black beans or another leftover protein on hand, as well as a handful of baby spinach.
INGREDIENTS
Olive oil cooking spray
4 corn tortillas
½ cup shredded chicken such as Instant Pot Chicken or skinless rotisserie
1/3 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
OPTIONAL: drained black beans, torn baby spinach, chopped green onions or tomato
METHOD
Heat a large cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat both sides of two tortilla; place both in hot skillet. Sprinkle half of the cheese evenly over the top of the two tortillas.
Heat chicken if not already warm. Divide chicken evenly over tortillas in skillet. Add any additional items such as beans or spinach if desired.
Sprinkle remaining half of cheese over chicken, and top with remaining tortillas. Coat the top of tortillas with cooking spray. Turn heat down to medium. Cook 1 to 2 minutes or until bottom of quesadilla is starting to turn golden. Carefully turn each quesadilla. Cook 2 to 4 minutes or until bottom tortilla is crisp and golden and cheese is melted.
Cut each quesadilla into four pieces. Serve with salsa, sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, avocado or guacamole.
NUTRITION
Nutrition Per Serving (Serving Size: 1 Quesadilla):
228 Cal | 8g Fat (4g Sat) | 18g Protein | 22g Carb, 3g Fiber, 1g Sugar (0g Added Sugar) | 110mg Sodium
