We eat a lot of quesadillas. Usually we don’t get too fancy and just melt some cheese (with veggies, beans, and/or leftover chicken) between two tortillas, top it with some salsa and guacamole and call it a meal. But the idea of Chipotle (delicious smoked jalapeno peppers canned in adobo sauce) flavored chicken stuffed in a cheesy quesadilla enticed me. And turns out this quesadilla filling is worth the bit of extra work!

I didn’t want to make it too spicy so that my kids couldn’t complain. So I settled on 1 1/2 chipotle peppers and if you taste the filling by itself it’s decently spicy (yes, I was sneaking licks from the pan…yum!) but combined with all that cheese and tortilla it tones down to somewhere between mild-medium. (It also depends how much filling you use on each quesadilla.) If you want more heat, use more peppers! I used canned crushed tomatoes because that’s what I always have on hand, but fresh diced/pureed tomatoes could work- they’ll just take longer to cook and reduce down. Rotisserie chicken makes this meal quick, but any cooked chicken will do- you’ll just need to add more salt and pepper if the chicken is not already seasoned.

**Click here for a delicious nacho version of this recipe!**

Chipotle Chicken Quesadillas

INGREDIENTS
drizzle olive oil
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper (and/or onion)
1 clove garlic, minced
1+ chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced (1 for mild, more to make it spicier- 1 1/2 peppers was just right for us)
1/2 cup crushed tomatoes (could use fresh tomatoes or tomato puree/sauce)
1 tsp. honey
1 green onion, thinly sliced
2 cups rotisserie chicken, chopped or shredded
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

corn or flour tortillas
Mexican cheese, grated (I like the Tillamook Mexican cheese blend, also good with Cheddar or Colby jack)

optional for serving:
sour cream
salsa
guacamole
lime wedges

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large sauté pan, heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat. Add the bell pepper (and/or onion) and sauté until tender, several minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Stir in the chipotle peppers and tomatoes. Cook until most of the liquid from the tomatoes has evaporated and the mixture is thickened, stirring often, about 5 minutes (if you’re using fresh tomatoes it will take longer). Stir in the honey, green onions, chicken, and cilantro. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep warm.
2. Heat a sauté pan over medium heat and spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray (optional- I don’t grease the pan if it’s nonstick). Lay a tortilla in the pan and sprinkle cheese evenly overtop. Spread some of the chicken mixture over half of the tortilla. When the cheese is mostly melted, fold the tortilla over to cover the filling and form a half-moon shape. Cook until the tortilla is crisp and golden and the cheese is melted, adjusting the heat as necessary, a minute or so per side. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Cut quesadillas into wedges and serve with sour cream, salsa, guacamole, and lime wedges, if desired.

Makes enough filling for ~6 quesadillas.

(Adapted from Once Upon a Chef)