I whipped these chicken and black bean quesadillas up one night when I was looking for a quick and simple dinner that was on the healthy side. I had no idea they'd turn out to be such a hit! These quesadillas get requested on a regular basis at our house ... and they take under 15 minutes from start to finish.
The secret to making them quick is using Tyson's fully cooked fajita chicken strips. They are sooo good and take about two minutes to defrost in the microwave. Of course, you can grill or bake your own fajita seasoned chicken and slice into strips if you prefer.
I sauté sliced green pepper and onion in a small skillet with a little olive oil and add this to my husband and I's quesadillas, but I leave this off of the kid's. (Another great thing about this recipe - you can custom make each quesadilla to suit each person's taste. My 5 year old has nothing but cheese in his).
Now start building! Fill half of each tortilla with these ingredients in this order (it's important to put some cheese on both the top AND bottom to make the quesadilla stick together) - a few tablespoons of cheese, chicken, rinsed and drained black beans, green pepper and onion if using, and a bit more cheese - and fold the unused half of the tortilla over the top. You can also add cilantro or diced jalapenos if you're feeling fancy!
Now bake for 5-7 minutes or until cheese is melted and outside of quesadilla is slightly crisp. Cut into thirds or fourths and serve up with some salsa, sour cream, and guacamole.
Ingredients:
10 soft taco sized tortillas (I use whole wheat)
22 oz. bag of Tyson's frozen fajita chicken strips, heated per instructions on bag
2-4 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (Use more or less to suit your taste. Cheddar or Mexican blend cheese also works well)
15 oz. can black beans, rinsed & drained
Green pepper, sliced and sautéed until tender
Onion, sliced and sautéed until tender
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place about 3 tbsp. of cheese across half of a tortilla. Layer on chicken, black beans, green pepper, and onion. Add another sprinkling of cheese and fold unused half of tortilla over the filling. Place on cookie sheet lined with foil and repeat for remaining tortillas. Bake for 4-7 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Cut into wedges and serve with sour cream, salsa, and guacamole.
And that's it! So easy and so delicious ... my stomach is growling just writing this post. These chicken and black bean quesadillas make an awesome dinner that looks like it took a lot longer to prepare than it actually did. I hope your family enjoys these as much as mine!
