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)

I’ve been making salsa verde chicken (throw some chicken breast or thighs in the slow cooker with a few spices and jar of salsa verde and a few hours later it’s done!) for years now and using it in burritos/tacos/quesadillas but this is the first time I’ve made tostadas and it was a big hit! And I love the simple refried bean recipe I found to top the tostadas. We can’t unanimously agree on a brand of canned refried beans but we all liked these! (This recipe uses canned pinto beans cooked with some garlic, olive oil, and a few spices to make your own and it’s quick and easy.) I bought the tostada shells but you can certainly make your own- I provided a link to a recipe below.

Salsa Verde Chicken Tostadas

INGREDIENTS

Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Chicken:
1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast (or thighs)
1 12 oz. jar salsa verde (I use Trader Joe’s brand)
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. cumin
1/8 tsp. Mexican oregano
pinch cayenne
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Tostadas:
tostada shells (I used Guerrero brand, here is a recipe to make your own)
refried beans (canned or see recipe below)
grated cheese (Cheddar, Pepper/Colby Jack, Mexican blend, etc.)
shredded lettuce
guacamole or sliced avocado
diced tomatoes or pico de gallo
sliced green onion
sour cream
chopped cilantro (optional)
pickled jalapeno (optional)
lime wedges, for serving

Refried Beans:
2 (16 oz.) cans pinto beans
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. coriander
1 tsp. cumin
salt and freshly ground black pepper (~1/2 tsp. each or to taste)
pinch cayenne pepper (to taste)

DIRECTIONS

Slow-Cooker Salsa Verde Chicken:

1. Season chicken with garlic powder, cumin, oregano, a pinch of cayenne and salt and pepper and place in the bottom of the slow cooker. Cover with salsa verde, cover and cook HIGH 2 hours.
2. Remove chicken from the slow cooker and shred with 2 forks. Remove 2/3 cup of liquid from the slow cooker, and discard. Place shredded chicken back into the crock pot with remaining salsa, adjust seasoning to taste if needed and keep warm.

Refried Beans:

1. While chicken is cooking, make the refried beans. Place two tablespoons of olive oil into a saucepan over medium low heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute, be careful to not burn garlic. Add two cans of pinto beans, undrained (I drained and rinsed my beans and then added about 1/2 cup water back in), to the garlic mixture. Add chili powder, coriander, cumin, cayenne, salt and pepper to the beans. Mix well. Cook for about 10 minutes on medium heat. Adjust seasonings to taste.
2. Using a potato masher, smash the beans until fairly smooth. (I used an immersion blender and blended until smooth, adding some more water to thin them.) The beans will continue to thicken as they cool. Remove beans from heat, place in a bowl or keep warm until ready to serve.

Tostadas:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Place tostada shells on a baking sheet. When the oven is hot, spread some refried beans on top of each tostada shell, top with salsa verde chicken and sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake until the cheese is melted and the shells are crisp, about 4 minutes.
3. Remove tostadas from the oven and top with lettuce, guacamole/avocado, tomatoes/pico, green onion, sour cream, cilantro, pickled jalapeno, etc. and serve with a squeeze of lime.

Serves 6.

Adapted from Skinnytaste and A Bountiful Kitchen