BUFFALO CHICKEN VEGGIE QUESADILLAS

RECIPE | BUFFALO CHICKEN VEGGIE QUESADILLAS

I love quick meals and using up all my leftovers, so naturally creative quesadillas are an automatic go-to for me.  This beauty made use of the roasted chicken I had for a previous dinner and was spiced up with a few versatile goodies I keep in my fridge and freezer.  You can either bake these in the oven and/or cook them stove top.  The quesadilla pictured above was actually a left-over from an oven-baked batch that I decided to reheat by pan-frying it in a bit of butter to golden crispiness!

PREP

Prep is the same whether you'd rather pan fry it, put it into a panini press, or bake it in the oven.

INGREDIENTS

Soft Tortillas (I use burrito sized)

Slices of Roasted Chicken

Peppers

Onions

Artichoke Hearts

Broccoli

Mozzarella Cheese

Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Franks Red Hot - Hot Buffalo Sauce

(optional) Butter

PART 1

Begin to shred your roasted chicken and place it in a container with a removable lid (this will be your easiest option) such as a recycled Chinese Food container.  Then begin to chop your peppers, onions, artichoke hearts, and broccoli into small pieces.  You can do this with fresh OR frozen veggies, but if they are frozen, run them under hot water to thaw (and drain/dry them) then chop.  Toss all of these into the container with the chicken.  Pour your desired amount of Franks Red Hot - Hot Buffalo Sauce on top, cover, and shake the container in such a way that the ingredients are tossed in the sauce and are completely and evenly covered.

PART 2

Open a soft tortilla out flat, cover half of it in shredded mozzarella cheese, sprinkling a small a mount of sharp cheddar on top, then add a single (relatively even) layer of your buffalo'd chicken and veggies on top, and finally top all of that with a sprinkle of mozzarella and sharp cheddar.  Fold the soft tortilla in half by closing the empty side over your filling.  Then (and here's the important part) press down gently but firmly on your half moon quesadilla and carefully flip over.  This will ensure that when you cook it, the extra cheesy part will melt through all the nooks and crannies toward the bottom and hold the whole thing together!

PART 3 - OPTION 1: FOR OVENS

All the while you are prepping, have your oven heating to 425 degrees F.  Place your half moon quesadillas on a baking sheet and bake until brown and crispy... which roughly takes 7 minutes, but all ovens are different, so please keep an eye on it.  You have the option to flip your quesadilla over again half way through the baking process, but it is not necessary and more trouble than it's worth.  When brown and crispy and cheese has melted, remove from oven using oven mitts, carefully transfer to a plate using available kitchen utensils (like a spatula) and allow to cool briefly.

PART 3 - OPTION 2: STOVE TOP FRYING PAN

Once you have your quesadilla put together, heat a frying pan (roughly medium heat) and add a small bit of butter (or oil if you'd rather) to coat the whole bottom of the pan to prevent burning & sticking.  Place your quesadilla in the pan and move it around a little to coat it in butter (or oil) and make sure it does not stick to the bottom and burn.  Gently press down as the cheese inside begins to melt (option to press along the outer rim with a spatula so it looks a bit like a pierogi) then flip and move it around to coat the other side and fry until golden brown.  You may end up flipping it a couple of times if you'd rather be extra careful to avoid burning, but it is not necessary.  Cook until crispy/crunchy.  Turn off stove top, remove from pan, carefully transfer to a plate and allow to cool briefly.

WARNING: The butter/oil will be VERY HOT so flip it VERY VERY CAREFULLY so that it doesn't splash onto you.

PART 4

Carefully cut your quesadilla in half (easiest and neatest) or in thirds using a knife.  I like to use a spatula to mark the line to cut and then hold it in place as I slice with the knife so the quesadilla doesn't slide around.  AND THEN EAT & ENJOY!

REHEATING YOUR QUESADILLA

If you have leftover that sit overnight, they may seem a bit soggy in the morning.  Don't microwave them, it will only make it worse (unless you don't mind it being soggy).  You can easily reheat your quesadilla by placing it in the oven on 425F until crispy OR pan fry it for roughly 1-2 minutes in some butter or oil until crispy again.  Very simple.  Very delicious.  The quesadilla pictured above was baked in the oven, refrigerated overnight, and then pan fried in a butter-coated frying pan to reheat and actually tasted even more delicious the second meal around!