Grilled Chipotle Chicken Quesadillas

• Once a week, I like to get creative and participate in my own "food challenge" by using whatever ingredients or food pantry items I have on hand. Its a great way to ensure you are actually using and consuming the food you buy.  Every couple days its smart to scan through the food in your fridge and pantry, and make a plan to utilize what you got before it spoils.
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• This past day, I knew that I had some flour tortillas that were a few days old, a left-over half of one red onion and a chicken breast. I figured I could turn these into some sort of quesadilla.  I headed over to pantry and found a can of chipotle salsa to spice things up, a perfect complement to the flavors of fresh cilantro and lime. I chose to grill the flour tortillas for the quesadillas because the grill marks add character and give the tortilla a mild smoky flavor. 

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• Grilled Chicken Chipotle Quesadillas 
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• Serves 2 

ingredients

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• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup red onion, chopped 
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 7oz can of chipotle salsa (I used San Marcos) 
• 1 green onion/scallion, thinly sliced
• 1-1/2 cups or 1 large grilled free-range chicken, sliced thinly 
•          (this can be pre-cooked or grill at at time)
• 2 Tablespoons cilantro, chopped
• 4 10-inch diameter flour tortillas
• 4 handfuls of shredded cheese
• Sour cream, for serving (optional)
• Lime wedges, for serving (optional)

preparation 

Grilling the Chicken 

Before laying your seasoned chicken breast down on your grill pan, you are going to want to make sure your surface is CLEAN, OILED, and HOT!  I promise your chicken will like you better, and you will like your chicken much better if you do this.  This, in addition to a little patience (don't even move the breast for at least 3-4 minutes), alleviates the issue of the chicken sticking to the grill.

Heat your grill pan to 375-450 degrees.  Place the chicken on a clean, oiled, and hot grate.  Cook the chicken breasts for about 4-5 minutes per side depending on thickness.  I like to do a "touch test" with  my finger to see if  the chicken is done, but feel free you use a meat thermometer, it should read 160 degrees. Remove the chicken from the heat, let it rest for a couple minutes, and slice in thin strips, and set aside for a moment. As it rests, begin making the chipotle mixture. 

Chipotle Mixture

In a large sauté pan or cast iron pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute or so. Stir in the chipotle salsa for 3-5 minutes, stirring often. I would slice the chicken at this point. Stir in the scallions, sliced chicken and cilantro. Keep warm on low heat. 

In the same grill pan as you cooked the chicken breast on, over medium-high heat, put down a flour tortilla. After a minute or so add a little cheese and wait until it begins to melt, then add an even layer of chipotle chicken mixture, sprinkle more cheese, and cover with another tortilla. Turn the quesadilla over, and let cook on each side for a few minutes until grill marks are perfect and golden.  If grilling in batches, keep finished quesadillas warm in a 200° oven until ready to serve. Enjoy!