Chicken Quesadilla

Perhaps one of the best implementations of a grilled cheese sandwich, or more specifically a melt, the chicken quesadilla is one of the most versatile sandwiches around. At its core, a quesadilla is typically two tortillas, cheese, and spices, cooked on a pan with either butter or a neutral oil.

As soon as you make the jump from basic quesadilla to one with headline ingredient however, the standards definitely change at a restaurant for what is included in this sandwich. A fairly standard chicken quesadilla in California will come with avocado, diced peppers and onions, sour cream, and salsa.

In this recipe, we are going to include these items and also go the laziest possible route for chicken, namely hand pulled Costco rotisserie chicken. You are welcome to pick another chicken, but honestly when it costs $5, why would you?

Ingredients for a Chicken Quesadilla

• two large flour tortillas
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 6 oz of shredded rotisserie chicken.
• 3 oz Pepper Jack shredded cheese
• 3 oz Cheddar
• 2 oz of any Mexican White Cheese (Asadero, Queso Quesadilla, etc.)
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro (optional)
• 1/4 chopped white onion
• 1/2 chopped bell pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon of your favorite spice blend (spicy is good here)
• 1 sliced avocado
• 2 tablespoons of salsa (set aside)
• 1 tablespoon of sour cream (set aside)

How to Make It

1. Start with ingredient preparation
   Chop your peppers and onions and slice the avocado, ideally as thin as possible to have the most coverage per bite of quesadilla. Hand-shred your chicken pieces, and height does matter a bit here, so try to be thin as well. I recommend finishing with a bit of finely minced cilantro, as it does elevate the quesadilla more than you might think.
2. Cook the onions and peppers on high heat
   We just want a touch of black to kiss these vegetables, there is no need to caramelize or slow cook here. Set aside when done in a small bowl. I also won't wash the pan afterwards as I want the flavor from these and some of the color to apply itself to the tortillas.
3. Fry both sides of each tortilla in butter (or oil)
   Tortilla browning technique is what separates average Mexican cuisine from the truly exceptional. You don't need to completely brown the interior sides that will touch meat, cheese and vegetables, but they should get a little bit of a crisp, even if it is mildly inconvenient to cook on all 4 sides of the two tortillas. Don't cook all the way, as you will need to continue with the ingredients afterwards.
4. Lower heat and add core ingredients
   Beginning with the cheese, generously sprinkle it over the least cooked tortilla in the pan. Add the peppers and onions, then the chicken, and then the avocado. The order matters a bit, as the peppers and onions benefit from being held in place by the cheese, as does the chicken, but the avocado will benefit both from the least heat applied as well as bond well with the top tortilla.
5. Add spices and black pepper, cilantro, and then the top tortilla.
   Season to taste with your favorite spice mix and black pepper, and usually cook for 2 to 5 minutes, depending on the heat of your range. Add the cilantro last if you are going that route. If you saved any cheese, throw a little extra on to help keep things together, and place the second tortilla on top. Then, after a few seconds, flip the quesadilla to continue cooking until browned.
6. Cut and serve with salsa and sour cream.
   Remove the quesadilla from heat and put on a cutting board. How you cut your quesadilla at this stage says volumes about your personality, I usually do six messy pieces (3 cuts). People who are in a rush will just do quadrants, and those who savor their bites will do eight pieces (4 cuts). People who don't cut their quesadilla at all or just cut it in half are in a special category. Plate with salsa and sour cream.

Note: Consider Orange Sauce for this as a side as well, it is a wonderful decision.