Chipotle Chicken Cheddar Quesadillas

Hi Guys, today’s recipe is coming from a guest poster Thomas aka The Pig Skin Chef. TL is an old friend and football teammate of the hubsters from college. He is seriously one of the most hilarious people I know, and I think you will see that in his post. Now he is a married, father of three and one heck of a cook! Although a new job and new baby have kept him from posting for a while on his blog, I highly recommend you go check out his old posts and of course check out this brand new one he is sharing with us today: Chipotle Chicken Cheddar Quesadillas. What I love about this recipe, is that it packs a flavor punch and it is a quick meal you can whip up in no time for the family.Take it away TL!

Ok let’s get one thing straight. A quesadilla is NOT Mexican
food. It’s sort of like if a grilled cheese sandwich and a pizza had a baby.
Regardless, they’re simple and can be tasty if you make them right. And of
course, they are a cinch for the kids to eat as well.

The problem is, with such an easy dish, it’s also just as
easy to make it incredibly LAME. Throw some meat and cheese in a tortilla and
heat it up and you could call it a “quesadilla.” But, I won’t let you go out
like that. I’m going to show you a simple way to spice up the filling, giving
you an excellent go to for a quick weeknight dinner, or even better – game day.

You begin with a rotisserie chicken. I always get mine at Costco for $4.99.
They are excellent quality, as big or bigger than you’ll find anywhere else,
and they’re $4.99 (and
that price is here to stay). Cut up the entire chicken and shred it with
two forks or a knife.

Add ONE canned chipotle chili plus 2 tablespoons of
the adobo sauce from the can, 1 TBS olive oil, 1 TBS balsamic vinegar, and 1
teaspoon of brown sugar ( I always use dark). Season with salt and pepper to
taste.

Set a tortilla on a cutting board. Top half of the tortilla
with a handful of the filling and some cheese. I like sharp/extra sharp because
they have more flavor. You’ll want them nice and full, but don’t go overboard
with it. You’ve still got to be able to nicely fold them in half. Repeat for as
many quesadillas you plan to make at a time. In most cases, you’ll be cooking
at least two.

I like to cook mine on the George Foreman, so if you have the ability, I’ve
gotten the best results that way. I’ll put directions on how to make them in a skillet in the recipe below.

Fold the quesadilla in half and spread just a tiny bit of
butter or oil on the outside, place on the Foreman grill and close the lid. It
will take about 60-90 seconds. The cheese will be melted and the tortillas will
be slightly browned and crispy. You can even give them a little quarter turn
after 30 seconds if you want to be fancy.

When you take them off, let them sit for maybe another
minute or so, and you can serve them as is, or cut the half-moons into
triangles. For game day, I suggest the latter. (I was fancy and did a quarter turn)

So with just a few extra steps you can turn boring old quesadillas into
something much better. Using a whole chicken will give you quite a few
quesadillas (more or less depending on the size of your tortillas). The
chipotles, sugar and vinegar add a little complexity – sort of a sweet heat. If
you’re worried about the heat, you can use half a pepper. You could also add
another pepper if you like, but I think it’s perfect as is. I would rate it
about a 3-4 on the Alexis Grace heat scale. As you can see, she thought they
were just fine!

Enjoy!

Chipotle Chicken And Cheddar Quesadillas (Adapted from Tony Rosenfeld)

(Yield may vary depending on how much chicken you have)

3 C cooked shredded chicken (One whole chicken can yield up to 5 or 6 C
chicken)

1 Canned chipotle chile, plus 2 Tbsp of adobo sauce (Can add more of both
depending on taste)

1 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil (plus more
for cooking)

1 Tbsp good quality balsamic vinegar

1 Tsp brown sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

Tortillas

½ Lb sharp or extra sharp cheddar (about 2 C)

1)In a medium bowl, toss the chicken with chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, tbsp of
oil, vinegar and brown sugar. Season with salt and pepper.

2)Lay a tortilla flat on a cutting board. Top half with a handful of filling
and cheese. Don’t over stuff. Fold the tortilla over to form a half moon.
Repeat.

3)Heat about 1.5 Tbsp of oil in a 12” skillet over medium
heat for about 2 minutes (should be shimmering but not smoking). Place two of
the stuffed tortillas in the hot pan. Press down occasionally with a spatula
until the bottoms are nicely browned – should be 2 no more than 3 mins. Flip
and cook the other side until the cheese is fully melted and oozing out –
another 2 mins or so.

4)Transfer to baking sheet or platter and allow to cool for about a minute.
Slice the half-moons into triangles and serve.

About the Author:

Thomas Lott is a Career Coach at the University of
Pittsburgh, but his real passion is in the kitchen. Nothing makes Thomas
happier than preparing tasty meals for friends, family, and ESPECIALLY his private
team of sous chefs and tasters. He
loves all aspects of cooking and can be found grilling, baking, searing,
slow-cooking, and everywhere in between!

Check out some of his past recipes on the Pigskin Chef!