My husband tends to be more of an “appreciator” of food rather than a “creator”, but if there’s one thing he likes to make it’s quesadillas. And he’ll make them out of anything. Leftover hamburger in the fridge? It goes in a quesadilla. One more spoonful of peanut butter left in the jar? Peanut butter quesadilla coming right up (don’t worry, no cheese!). Hard-boiled egg? He slices it up with his little egg mandoline (bought from TV, I believe), mixes with an obscene amount of mayo, adds cheese and nukes it all in a tortilla. James Beard hasn’t come knocking on our door just yet over these, but you gotta give the guy points for creativity.
So when I had leftover shredded chipotle chicken from the delicious Slow-Cooker Chili Chicken Tacos recipe from Everyday Food I made the other day, I took a little inspiration from my better half and grilled up a quesadilla on my Breville. The best part about it, aside from the succulent chicken (which was even more flavorful the next day), was the fact that it only took 3 minutes to grill on the panini press and I didn’t have to undergo the perilous task of attempting to flip it! I originally intended just to eat half and save the rest, but wouldn’t you know – I took down the whole thing. 🙂
Chipotle Chicken (No-Flip!) Quesadilla
INGREDIENTS:
Slow-cooker Chili Chicken, shredded (see recipe at Everyday Food)*
Flour tortillas
Shredded cheese, such as mild cheddar or a Mexican blend
Sour cream
Salsa
Cilantro
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the panini grill to medium-high heat (375 degrees).
Sprinkle a layer of cheese on top of one tortilla. Add shredded chicken evenly over the cheese. Add more cheese on top and close the quesadilla with a second tortilla.
Carefully transfer the quesadilla to the panini grill. Grill 3-4 minutes until cheese is melted and tortillas are crisp. Slice into wedges and top with sour cream and salsa and garnish with cilantro. Serve immediately and enjoy!
* Alternatively, you could use any other leftover chicken or store-bought rotisserie chicken, shred it with two forks, and season with a little chili powder to taste and/or mix in a chopped chipotle chile in adobo (careful – they’re spicy!)
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It’s almost time for bed, but this is making me hungry!
Looks so good!
Ummm! that looks wonderful. I use my Breville for quesadillas, too, even though I have a quesadilla maker that cuts them into little wedges. The Breville is on the counter; the other is not. It’s a no brainer.
Mmmmm, sounds delicious! My hubby makes quesadilla’s out of everything too!
My mouth is watering. Mmmmmmmm!!!
I would so love one of those right about now!
I love the panini press for quesadillas… as does DH (there must be a male connection here).
And these sound fantastic.
You gotta love using leftovers for quesadillas. I’ve never thought of using my panini grill for quesadillas – great idea.
If there’s one thing my family never gets tired of, it’s quesadillas! These look terrific!
very few things can top a crisp quesadilla when it comes to ease, quickness, leftover-usage, and deliciousness. lovely. 🙂
Love the versatility of quesadillas. With just about anything you have on hand, or care to purchase, you can satisfy most tastes, from savory cravings to a sweet tooth. How many foods can claim that?!
So glad I found your blog since my momjust sent me a panini maker. Glad to see how many possibilities this new appliance offers!
Great minds think alike. Have you sen Deb’s recipe for Kalua pig quesadillas? Please stop by Food of Love for an interesting challenge and the link to Deb’s fabulous website, which you may already know.
Nice to have a few of those *worth-making* slow cooker recipes tucked away for chilly days. I like what you did with it!
(I don’t think my husband could make a quesadilla!)
So simple and so easy to make. I love the no-flip concept. It’s perfect for those who are a little clumbsy…like me.
What a great idea! My next quesadillas are going into the panini press.
I just finished breakfast and now I was one of these quesadillas for lunch!
I’m also guilty of making anything goes quesadillas. Whatever gets rid of the leftovers in the fridge, right?
I love chipotles! I will give these a shot soon!
I made a variation of this the other day. If you use four cheese nacho cheese as a spread on the tortilla and cook chicken breast seasoned to your likings its amazing! My hubby loved them!! I love my panini grill!!!