Easy Mushroom-Chicken Quesadillas

Some foods really don’t require a recipe.  Quesadillas have always been that type of food in my eyes.  I have been relying heavily on Ellie Krieger’s book, So Easy lately and came across a recipe for Easy Mushroom-Chicken Quesadillas.  The picture looked amazing and the ingredients included many of my favorites so I decided to use the recipe to make this very simple type of food.  My decision was a great one, these were wonderful.  Terry deemed them too “vegetablely” but for me they were perfect.  The chicken, mushrooms, spinach and spices tied together perfectly.  The only change that I made was in the construction on the quesadillas.  Instead of placing one flat tortilla over another one, I filled half of each one and w rapped the rest of the tortilla over the top of itself.  This just seems to make more sense to me and the pre-cooked quesadillas seem easier to handle.   We ate our Easy Mushroom-Chicken Quesadillas with sour cream, salsa and as usual, Terry’s guacamole.  These will be repeated often and the filling will be frozen for quick meals. 

-Heather

Easy Mushroom-Chicken Quesadillas
(Adapted from Ellie Krieger's So Easy)
Ingredients
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 large onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
8 ounces white button mushrooms, (about 3 cups)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cooked chopped skinless, boneless chicken breast (1 breast half)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 cups baby spinach leaves, sliced into ribbons
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
4 (10-inch) whole-grain flour tortillas
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese mix or Cheddar
1/2 cup salsa (optional)
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream (optional)

Directions
Heat the oil in a large skillet over a medium heat. Add the onions and mushrooms and cook until the mushroom water is evaporated and they begin to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add chicken, cumin, chili powder and oregano and stir until all spices are incorporated. Add spinach, salt and pepper and cook until spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes.

Lay 2 tortillas on a flat work surface and sprinkle half of each with 1/8 cup shredded cheese. Spoon 1/4 chicken and vegetable mixture on top of cheese on each tortilla, then top with an additional 1/8 cup cheese. Fold each tortilla in half over itself. Heat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray over medium heat. Carefully place 2 quesadillas in the pan and cook 3 minutes. Using a large spatula, gently flip quesadillas and cook an additional 3 minutes until lightly browned and cheese is melted. Repeat with the remaining two quesadilla. Slice each quesadilla into quarters. Place 2 quarters on a plate with 1 tablespoon sour cream and 2 tablespoons salsa if desired.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over a medium heat. Add the onions and mushrooms and cook until the mushroom water is evaporated and they begin to brown, 5 to 7 minutes.

Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.

Add chicken, cumin, chili powder and oregano and stir until all spices are incorporated.

Add spinach, salt and pepper and cook until spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes.

Lay 2 tortillas on a flat work surface and sprinkle half of each with 1/4 cup shredded cheese.

Spoon 1/4 chicken and vegetable mixture on top of cheese on each tortilla, then top with an additional 1/8 cup cheese.

Fold each tortilla in half over itself.

Heat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray over medium heat. Carefully place 2 quesadillas in the pan and cook 3 minutes. Using a large spatula, gently flip quesadillas and cook an additional 3 minutes until lightly browned and cheese is melted. Repeat with the remaining two quesadilla. Slice each quesadilla into quarters. Place 2 quarters on a plate with 1 tablespoon sour cream and 2 tablespoons salsa if desired.