Finally being able to christen my new kitchen, I wanted to make something summery, different and delicious. As I drove from our old house to our new with a car load full of stuff, I started dreaming up dinner ideas. Obviously it needed to be quick as well as the above three mentioned criteria since my time is definitely stretched in a million different directions right now.
So based on what I knew I had in the fridge, I settled on quesadillas as the perfect option. When I got home and took an official inventory of what I had, the idea for Chicken Ranch Quesadillas sprang to mind. It met all my needs and it just sounded so good to me. When I simply said the name to my husband and oldest daughter, their reactions told me I had a winner in the making.
And it was! Served alongside a nice wedge of watermelon, it was a perfect summertime meal and the perfect way to christen my new kitchen.
Chicken Ranch Quesadillas
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and thinly sliced
- 1/2 lb bacon, diced
- 1 green pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 2 cup shredded cheese
- Ranch dressing
- 8 tortillas
- Butter or margarine, for cooking
Instructions
- Add a handful of cheese to the tops to 4 tortillas. Top each with chicken and bacon, then lightly drizzle some ranch dressing over that.
- Top each tortilla with the cooked peppers and onions. Then add the remaining cheese on top of each pile.
- Top each tortilla with the remaining four tortillas. Melt a little butter or margarine in a large skillet and cook the tortilla stacks one at a time over medium heat, about 4-5 minutes per side, until golden brown and cheese is melted. Add more butter or margarine to the skillet as needed.
- Cut each quesadilla into wedges and serve with extra ranch for dipping, if desired.
Notes
- The veggies are completely optional. In fact, I only added them to the quesadillas that my husband and I ate. Also, we both agreed that a few thin slices of tomato would have been a nice addition inside the quesadilla, if you like tomatoes.
- Lightly frying in a skillet is the only way that I’ve ever made quesadillas. But I am in love with the idea of grilling them and Erin has a great recipe featuring grilled quesadillas over at $5 Dinners. That method would definitely work with this recipe too.
- Leftovers reheat beautifully when warmed in a dry skillet for a few minutes. They taste almost as good as fresh!
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