chicken quesadilla

It's funny, everytime I write the word "quesadilla" I have flashbacks of Napoleon Dynamite. Anyways, I had a craving for them (no matter how you pronounce it) tonight. If you know me well, you know I have a not-too-secret love of Qdoba. However, I decided to be motivated and make my own tonight. I haven't made them in quite awhile, and forgot how easy they actually were. Here's what you'll need:

• 1 chicken breast
• 1 pack of large flour tortillas
• 1 jar of salsa (the chunkier, the better)
• 1 package of Mexican cheese (cheddar & monterey jack)
• Salt and pepper

Begin by seasoning the chicken breast with salt and pepper. Then sauté it in a medium non-stick pan over medium heat. I used olive oil and a little minced garlic for this part, but that's totally optional - I just always cook chicken like that. Once the chicken is cooked through, shred it into decently small pieces (the smaller the better - it'll make the quesadilla way easier to eat).

Now you're ready for the main show. In the same pan over medium heat, put a dollop of olive oil and place a tortilla in the pan. I like to swish it around with my hand real quick to spread out the oil. Quickly place 1/3 of your chicken in a line across the center (note: I get three quesadillas out of 1 average-sized chicken breast). Next, place a tablespoon (or two) of salsa over the chicken and cover everything completely with a handful of cheese. Fold the quesadilla over the contents, leaving a little bit of a lip (see picture). This will help when you flip to the other side, as the contents shift a bit.

Let this sit for just a minute or two, until the cheese begins to melt nicely. Flip the quesadilla with a large spatula and brown the other side. Remove from the pan and let sit for a few minutes to cool. Slice into quarters and serve.

I made the homemade guacamole recipe again with this for dipping, and it turned out to be a pretty freaking delicious little meal. I probably could've served it with rice or veggies, but I ate all of the quesadillas myself (they could easily feed three people).

Bon chappétit!