Quesadillas with Chicken and Fajita Veggies

E is always a bit skeptical when it comes to the counter-service Mexican-style chain restaurants like Chipotle, Qdoba, and Baja Fresh. Mainly he objects to the sauceless burrito that is standard at these places, preferring that his be covered in something spicy, like these burritos from The Pioneer Woman, which I make occasionally (any PW recipe is an instant hit with E). But when I was pregnant with Baby Girl, I craved fast Mex regularly, and mercifully, a Qdoba opened just a half mile down the road from our home. After much pleading, I got E to agree to have dinner there one night. Foregoing the burritos, he ordered a quesadilla instead, and his fast Mex woes were ended. We went back almost weekly until Baby Girl was born.

The closest fast Mex to our current home is Chipotle, which doesn’t offer quesadillas on its menu. So I set out to create a homemade substitute, one with spicy chicken and fajita veggies like the ones we love from Qdoba. These have become one of my top ten school night dinners because they’re fairly quick and simple. I poach the chicken and prep the veggies while Baby Girl is strapped into her high chair eating her dinner. I then shred the chicken and sauté the veggies as soon as she’s in bed, which is usually around 8:30. When E texts me that he’s on his way home, around 9:00, I know I have about 20 minutes for assembly and baking, which works out perfectly. He walks in to the aroma of hot quesadillas waiting.

My friends with young kids tell me that quesadillas are a favorite with their littles, so I’m expecting these to stay on the dinner rotation for a long time to come.

Quesadillas with Chicken and Fajita Veggies

Makes 4 quesadillas

2 boneless chicken breasts or 4 boneless chicken thighs
2 tablespoons taco seasoning
1 large green bell pepper, cut into strips
1 large red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 large sweet onion, sliced thin
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups shredded cheese, a Mexican blend, colby-jack, or whatever you like best (pepperjack is great if you like extra zip)
8 large flour tortillas (whole wheat are great if you’re going for more fiber)

Preheat the oven to 375°.

In a large saucepan, poach the chicken in boiling water until fully cooked, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from the water and using two forks, shred the meat and place in a bowl. Stir in the taco seasoning.

Sauté the peppers and onion in the rest of the olive oil over medium-high heat until tender and starting to caramelize, about 10-15 minutes.

Assemble the quesadillas: on a large cookie sheet or jelly roll pan, place two tortillas side by side. On each tortilla, layer 1/4 each of the chicken and veggies.

Add a layer of cheese (enough so that when it melts, everything will stick together).

Place another tortilla on top of each, and press down a bit, firmly but gently.

Bake 10-12 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the tortillas are lightly browned, with crispy edges. Cut into quarters (a pizza wheel works great for this).

Serve with salsa and sour cream.

For the printable recipe, click here.

Enjoy!