Quesadillas are something we have been filling and eating since Kelly was quite young. As the story goes, my younger sister Andi was visiting us and we were unable to get Kelly to eat the chicken we had made for dinner. Andi suggested putting the meat in a tortilla to see if Kelly would eat it that way. She did! Thereafter, Kelly would eat just about anything we served, if we put it in a tortilla. So we did. Then made a natural transition to making quesadillas, with an endless variety of fillings.
Quesadillas (literally translated to “little cheesy thing”) are a popular and favored dish in Mexican cooking, but they have been influenced by several other cultures and cuisines, to become what they are today. Filled and grilled flour tortillas originated in northern and central Mexico five centuries ago when the Aztecs first stuffed tortillas with squash and pumpkin for a sweet treat. Native Americans contributed the corn tortilla to the Aztecs. Spanish settlers brought sheep, pigs, and cows with them, introducing the indigenous people to the meat and cheeses of these animals. Italy’s Dominican monks brought their method of production of Oaxaca cheese (a semi-hard cow cheese) to Mexico. All of these items are now popular components of quesadillas.
The filling for these quesadillas are not quite traditional. But they are a great combination and work well for lunch or a light dinner.
Chicken, Blue Cheese & Caramelized Onion Quesadillas
Chicken, Blue Cheese & Caramelized Onion Quesadillas (adapted from foodandwine.com) Active Time: 30 minutes, Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes, Serves: 6
Ingredients:
- 4 pounds (5-6 breasts) skinless chicken breasts
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 large onions, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons chopped thyme
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- pinch of sugar
- freshly ground pepper
- Twelve 6-inch flour tortillas
- 4 ounces (1 cup) blue cheese, crumbled
Instructions:
Combine 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the rosemary, garlic, and a generous pinch of salt.
Combine the oil with the herbs & garlic.
Place the chicken breasts in a casserole dish and toss them with the seasoned oil. Cover the dish and let the chicken stand at room temperature for 30 minutes or refrigerate it for 4 hours or overnight.
Brush the chicken breasts with the oil mixture.
Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet, melt the butter in the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the sliced onions, thyme, vinegar, sugar, and a generous pinch of pepper. Cook them over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened, about 30 minutes.
Caramelize the onions.
They will take about 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and bake it until it is cooked through to an internal temperature of 165ºF, about 30 minutes. Let the chicken cool, then shred the meat.
Arrange 6 tortillas on 2 large baking sheets. Spoon the onions onto the tortillas and top them with the shredded chicken and blue cheese.
Spread half the tortillas with the cheese & onions.
Layer the chicken over the cheese & onions.
Cover them with the remaining tortillas, pressing them to flatten them slightly. Bake the quesadillas for about 6 minutes, until they are golden and toasted. Transfer the quesadillas to plates and serve them right away. Unbaked quesadillas can be tightly wrapped in plastic and refrigerated overnight.
Kelly has been inspiring us in the food department all her life! ~Linda
Chicken, Blue Cheese & Caramelized Onion Quesadillas (adapted from foodandwine.com) Active Time: 30 minutes, Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes, Serves: 6
Ingredients:
- 4 pounds (5-6 breasts) skinless chicken breasts
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 large onions, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons chopped thyme
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- pinch of sugar
- freshly ground pepper
- Twelve 6-inch flour tortillas
- 4 ounces (1 cup) blue cheese, crumbled
Instructions:
In a casserole dish, toss the chicken breasts with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the rosemary, garlic, and a generous pinch of salt. Cover the dish and let the chicken stand at room temperature for 30 minutes or refrigerate it for 4 hours or overnight.
Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet, melt the butter in the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the sliced onions, thyme, vinegar, sugar, and a generous pinch of pepper. Cook them over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened, about 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and bake it until it is cooked through to an internal temperature of 165ºF, about 30 minutes. Let the chicken cool, then shred the meat..
Arrange 6 tortillas on 2 large baking sheets. Spoon the onions onto the tortillas and top them with the shredded chicken and blue cheese. Cover them with the remaining tortillas, pressing them to flatten them slightly. Bake the quesadillas for about 6 minutes, until they are golden and toasted. Transfer the quesadillas to plates and serve them right away. Unbaked quesadillas can be tightly wrapped in plastic and refrigerated overnight.