Chicken, Corn and Black Bean Quesadillas

After a full day working in the garden, I needed something quick to make for dinner, and queasdillas fit the bill. There was one smoked chicken breast in the freezer, along with some black beans. I added some corn and red pepper for sweetness and crunch, and served it with salsa, sour cream and avocado.

To make the filling, start by cooking:

1/2 a medium onion, diced
2 cloves of  garlic, minced

Cook on a medium low heat, in a bit of olive oil, until they soften.

Add some spices:

2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin

Cook for 2 minutes, then add in the diced chicken breast. Continue to cook until the chicken is cooked completely.

Add frozen corn. remove from the heat and allow it to cool.

In a large bowl, combine:

the cooked chicken mix
1/3 cup cream cheese
2 good handfuls of grated cheddar

Mix well to combine.

Add in 1/2 red pepper, diced.

This is your filling.

Heat the oven to 350F while you assemble the quesadillas for baking.

Place one tortilla on a baking tray and spread the filling evenly over it. Sprinkle with black beans.

The filling made enough for 3 quesadillas.

Cover with another tortilla.

Place the tray in the oven and bake for 10 - 12 minutes. The filling should be hot and bubbly, but you don't want the tortillas to got crispy and dry.





When they are ready, remove from the oven and place on a cutting board. Cut each quesadilla into 6 or 8 pieces, and serve with the salsa, sour cream and diced avocado.

• Use plain chicken breast if you don't have smoked. This was the last of the batch that my husband smoked for us. Pork or beef will work too.
• White cheddar, Monterey jack, pepper jack or orange cheddar all work well.
• You can spice up the filling a bit more by mixing in some salsa.
• If you are using wholewheat tortillas, watch them carefully in the oven, as they tend to dry out faster.
• I served a whole quesadilla per person, but if you are serving it with other things such as rice, potatoes or salad, fold each tortilla in half to make the quesadillas.
• These can be assembled ahead of time, wrapped well and kept in the fridge. The filling can be made a day ahead.
• Add more vegetables if you want...green onion, chopped tomatoes, olives, jalapenos...
• Some other filling combinations to try: cooked chorizo, white cheddar, red peppers and onions; pulled pork, beans and cheddar; caramelized onions, thinly sliced pear and blue cheese; diced cooked chicken, BBQ sauce, green onions, red peppers and cheese; leftover baked beans with cheese or red pepper jelly, ham and brie with or without halved green grapes.