Chicken and Cheese Quesadilla Pie

 

What started off as a nimble way using up small bunches of ingredients in the fridge turned into a real revelation.  Meet Chicken and Cheese Quesadilla Pie ! Slide these out of their pie pans and right onto the plate. They hold their shape beautifully ! Side them with baked sweet potatoes.  Have small bowls of sour cream and spicy hot salsa for dolloping on bites of the pie and you have a really delicious meal !

I started this recipe with some flour tortillas that needed using. One larger one got smushed into the little metal pie pan that the other smaller tortillas fit in well. Sin ocupaciones ! No big deal ! The key is to spritz the pie pans with a layer of olive oil and then spritz the edges of the tortillas once you've filled them so that they crisp up in the HOT oven.

Next get your leftover cooked chicken, some grated cheese ( I used Cheddar and some Parmesan), some fresh green herbs ( I use cilantro, chives, and parsley), a minced jalapeno pepper, some frozen corn,  some salt and pepper, and some cumin. Mix it all together and divide it amongst your lined quesadilla pie shells.

Mix up a smooth batter of egg, half&half, milk, flour, baking powder, salt, and cayenne pepper and divide it evenly over top your pie ingredients.

Sprinkle the top of the pies with a bit more grated cheese and cayenne pepper and bake !

The pies bake in a really hot oven, so I had to cover them after ten minutes as the tortilla edges were getting really crisp, which was a good thing. They tasted really good snapped off and dragged through salsa between bites of the pie and sweet potato. Yum ! I cut my pie into little wedges that I could pick up, dollop with some sour cream and salsa and pop into my mouth in a couple little bites. Tasty !

Here's how I did it ...

Chicken and Cheese Quesadilla Pies

adapted from an America Test Kitchen recipe

Makes 2 small pies/2 servings - double the recipe for four if you want 4 servings or leftovers

Oven - about 20 minutes at 450 degrees F. foil the pies if they crisp too fast.

Ingredients: 

olive oil spray

2-8 inch flour tortillas

1 rounded cup cooked chicken, chopped into small chunks

3 ounces grated cheese ( sharp Cheddar is a good choice)

1 small handful Parmesan cheese, grated

1/3 c. frozen corn, thawed

2 tbsp. chopped cilantro

1 tbsp. chopped parsley

1 tbsp. chopped chives

1/2 small jalapêno pepper, minced

1/8 tsp. ground cumin

1 large egg

1/2 c whole milk 

2 tbsp. half&half

1/3 c. flour

pinch of kosher salt

1/4 tsp. baking powder

Making the Dish:

1. Well ahead of making the quesadilla pies, preheat the oven and have the rack in the center of the cookspace. Wrap some sweet potatoes in foil and pop them in to begin baking. 

2. Spritz the pie pans with olive oil and press the tortillas into place. Set aside.

3. Place the chicken, corn, jalapēno, herbs, most of the Cheddar and all the Parmesan, salt and black pepper, and cumin in a bowl and toss to combine. Divide evenly between the pies. Set aside.

4. Mix the egg, milk, half & half, salt, flour, and baking powder in a bowl and whisk until a smooth batter forms. Divide evenly by pouring over the pie filling.

5. Top the pies with the rest of the Cheddar cheese and a sprinkle of cayenne pepper. Spritz the edges of the tortillas with a bit more olive oil.

6. Bake for 20 minutes in the HOT oven, checking to see how the edges are browning. Cover with foil, as necessary. 

7. Plate the baked sweet potatoes on a platter with a bowl of sour cream and a bowl of salsa. Serve while the pies are hot from the oven.

Note: The sweet potatoes take a while in the oven so plan accordingly when starting the quesdilla pies. they take no time at all to put together and bake. Enjoy ! We loved this meal !

Happy Halloween and Day of the Dead !