Monday, May 18, 2015

Bacon Cheddar Ranch Chicken Quesadillas (Freezer Friendly)

I'm always looking for easy, delicious new recipes to try with my family.  And often, my new creations are born from ingredients I'm trying to use up in my fridge or pantry.  That's how this recipe was born!  Got a packet of ranch seasoning?  Got some taco seasoning?  Any salsa in the fridge?  A few strips of bacon?  Some chicken and cheese?  Bam!




I bought a package of tortillas to make fajitas one night and then changed my mind.  I was checking out the few strips of bacon I had in the fridge and trying to figure out how to incorporate them.  I'd recently made a Bacon Cheddar Ranch Pasta Salad (that's also incredible) and realized the bacon and Ranch seasoning together are a gift from God.  That's when I hit up Pinterest!  Pinterest is a wealth of recipe ideas!  I read some recipes for Ranch quesadillas and got to work!  And this recipe was the result.  My husband loved them so much that they've now becoming part of our regular rotation.  And the best part is that they are SO EASY to make!!!

Here's how you make them:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large pan, mix 1 cup of your favorite salsa (We used Mateo's Salsa from Costco.  Its SERIOUSLY good!), 1 packet of Ranch seasoning, and 1 tablespoon of taco seasoning...

Add 3-4 cooked and shredded chicken breasts and mix until chicken is evenly covered.  Heat through. (I love a recipe that calls for shredded chicken!  I can make it up to a day in advance and shred it.  Then its ready to use when I'm ready to cook!)...

Melt butter.  Brush butter on one side of a tortilla.  Place the tortilla, butter-side down, on a baking sheet.  Place some of the chicken mixture on one half of the tortilla...

Cover the chicken mixture with cheese. (We like to use Mexican cheese or taco cheese, but you could easily use plain cheddar or a cheddar-jack mixture)...

Then sprinkle a few pieces of crumbled bacon on top...

Fold the tortilla in half.  Continue assembling quesadillas until you run out of ingredients. (I usually end up with 7-10 quesadillas, depending on how full I fill them and how much chicken I have.)  Bake in a 375 degree oven for 10-15 minuted (I check them after 10 minutes, but usually put them in longer.  We like our quesadillas crispy on the edges!  If you don't like yours crispy, take them out after about 10 minutes.)  Serve with your favorite condiments and sides (sour cream, extra salsa, Mexican rice and refried beans, or chips and salsa).


Bacon Cheddar Ranch Chicken Quesadillas

Ingredients:
3-4 large chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
8 burrito-size flour tortillas or 10 fajita-size flour tortillas
1 cup of your favorite salsa (We used Mateo's Gourmet Salsa from Costco)
1 package Ranch seasoning
1 Tablespoon Taco Seasoning
4-6 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 cups shredded cheese (We used a Mexican blend, but you could use plan cheddar or cheddar jack)
1 to 2 Tablespoons butter

Directions:
1.) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large pan, mix the salsa, Ranch seasoning, and taco seasoning.  Add shredded chicken and mix until chicken is evenly covered.  Heat through.
2.) Melt butter.  Brush butter on one side of a tortilla.  Place the tortilla, butter-side down, on a baking sheet.  Place some of the chicken mixture on one half of the tortilla.
3.) Cover the chicken mixture with cheese, then sprinkle a few pieces of crumbled bacon on top.
4.) Fold the tortilla in half.  Continue assembling quesadillas until you run out of ingredients. (I usually end up with 7-10 quesadillas, depending on how full I fill them and how much chicken I have.)
5.)  Bake in 375 degree oven for 10-15 minuted (I check them after 10 minutes, but usually put them in longer.  We like our quesadillas crispy on the edges!  If you don't like yours crispy, take them out after about 10 minutes.)
6.) Serve with your favorite condiments and sides.

Note: This makes plenty for my husband, myself, and our two little ones to enjoy for 2 nights.  And often, there's still some left over!  So you're just feeding a couple of people, feel free to cut the recipe in half.

Note 2: You will notice there is no salt in this recipe.  Taco seasoning and Ranch seasoning are both very salty - as it bacon.  No need to add any more seasoning!  And if you still find this recipe is a little too salty for your taste, you can use a low sodium taco seasoning or leave it out all together.




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