Well, then I have a recipe for you!
Quesidilias!
Quesidilias are a family favourite in our house. For the cook of the house and the eaters of the house. It is quick and easy to make and even more important, it is oh so yummy. I often make it when I buy a roast chicken and I need to use the leftover pieces of meat that need to be cleaned off the bone. I clean that chicken of all that yummy dark meat that we are too lazy to get when we first eat the chicken. You can substitute the chicken for leftover pork or steak and any other kind of protein leftovers that you need to use up. I am not a fan of reheating steak or pork the next day, so I usually cut it up thinly and throw it in a Quesidilia!
Ingredients:
Left over meat cut up into small chunks
Tortillas, I use whole grain
Salsa, I use medium or hot spice
Sour cream, I use light
Garlic, 2-3 cloves
Peppers, diced
Onion, diced
Bacon, 4-5 slices
Green onion, chopped
Cheese, I like to use jalapeño Monterey Jack cheese
Extra virgin olive oil
Spices, I use epicures fajita seasoning, but you could use Homemade taco seasoning or Homemade fajita seasoning recipe
Spinach, I added this last time because I had some leftover that needed to be used up
Instructions:
1. I do all my food prep. Cut the meat into small chunks and then dice the peppers and onions. I don't measure because it all depends on how many people I am feeding. I adjust as needed. Chop some green onion and grate lots of cheese (enough to thinly layer the bottom and top of each tortilla to help make the rest of the food stick when the cheese melts).
2. Once the bacon is cooked, I break it up into small pieces and set aside. I drain some, but not all of the fat, and then start to sauté garlic (30 sec) and then the peppers and onions in the bacon scrapings and fat. If you want it to be spicy, I would add some red pepper flakes or chili peppers here. Add oil if you don't want to use the bacon fat....but seriously, you suck if you don't ;) Sauté the veggies for 3-4 minutes.
3. Then add the chicken and bacon into the same pan. Add the spices of your choice to everything in the pan. I don't measure, I shake some on, stir, then shake some more. Taste and add more if needed. Add the spinach and green onion. Cook until the spinach wilts, then take off of the heat, but keep in the pan so you can keep it warm and more importantly, not dirty any more dishes.
4. In a large frying pan, start to heat up 2 tbsp of oil on medium to high heat. Pace tortilla in the pan, and then quickly add a thin layer of cheese. Scoop the toppings on top the cheese and make sure it's evenly spread around and then add another layer of cheese on top of that. Place a 2nd tortilla on top and press down with a spatula. Adjust heat if needed. We want the tortilla to be crispy and brown, but not cook it too much before the cheese melts. Depending on heat, cook for 6-8 minutes. I quickly peak under the tortilla to see if it is browned enough to my liking. I like it to be crispy.
5. Now the tricky part is coming....flipping the Quesidilia without all of the innards coming out. I tilt the pan to the side and use a large spatula and quickly flip it. I have done this so much, that stuff rarely comes out, but it took me awhile to get the hang of it. If anything comes out, then try to quickly stuff it back in with your spatula. If it is cooked long enough, the cheese can melt and help keep things inside as well. Cook on this side for the same amount of time or less.
6. Slide it out of the pan onto a plate and then use a pizza cutter to cut it into slices. Serve with a side of salsa and sour cream!
** I use the large tortillas so I can have leftovers the next day, because I can't usually eat a whole one **
*** I have also used this recipe for nachos instead of putting it into a Quesidilia. I would skip the spinach though ***
No comments:
Post a Comment