Chipotle Chicken Quesadilla - When a Sandwich isn't a Sandwich

This is yet another story of how chipotle flakes saved me from the depths of the dreaded microwave - how just a couple tablespoons of spiciness can turn a straight-forward dish into a seemingly gourmet meal.  I was working from home, playing with dough recipes on my brief breaks - and the hours passed like minutes right up until 6:30.  I had nothing substantial in the fridge, no plan - I didn't even have anything defrosted.  So I tossed some frozen chicken in a bowl of water - I had 1 hour before it defrosted - what to do with it!?  Such potential for a bland dinner. I admit it, I was scared.  Terrified even. 

Obviously, I take my food very seriously.  If you're anything like me, you understand my anxiety.

A quick and dirty sandwich was the most likely choice, but that seemed so boring - what's a sandwich that isn't quite a sandwich?  Wraps?  Burrito?  Fried Burrito?  Quesadilla!  I was saved! I wiped the sweat from my brow and went to work.  After the chicken defrosted, this whole thing took all of 15 minutes to make!

Ingredients:

2 burrito sized tortillas

1/2 large pepper

1/2 medium red onion

2 large chicken breasts (3/4 - 1lb total)

About 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (I used half mozz and half parm, cuz that's what I had)

2 tbs Chipotle Flakes

Oil for cooking

 1. Cut the chicken breasts into long, thin strips - as you can see, I was less than patient with mine, so they came out a little cubist
2. Chop the pepper and onion into long thin strips as well
3. Put a little bit of oil into two large skillets, and set them both to medium-high heat.  Add the chipotle flakes to just one of them - let those puppies simmer and infuse into the oil
4. Once heated, add the chicken to the chipotle skillet, and the onions and peppers to the other.  Cook until the chicken JUST STARTS to blacken, and the onions JUST START to brown.

 5. Move the peppers and onion to a plate, and pour a little more oil into the skillet - just enough to cover the surface.  Keep the heat at medium-high.
6. Once the oil heats, add the tortilla.
7. The key to this part is to keep the filling on the last 1/4 of the tortilla, making it easy to flip the top over the filling and keep it all sealed in!  Add 1/4 of the cheese to act as cement for the filling - add half the onions, half the peppers, and half the chicken.  Again, add 1/4 of the cheese to keep the top in place

 8. When the tortilla starts to brown, flip the empty half over the filling, and hold down with your spatula until the cheese melts and the top stays in place
9. Put it on a paper towel lined plate, allow oil to drain.  Repeat with the other tortilla and the rest of the ingredients.

Play with this one!  These can be extremely elaborate, or just a vessel for some melted cheddar - a different way to prepare grilled cheeses for your kids...or the kid in you!

Questions?  Additions?  Comment below, or email me at CutsEveryday@gmail.com