Sometimes making up my own recipe is a great idea. And other times, not so much.
A couple weeks ago, Amy at The Finer Things in Life posted a recipe for a chicken and black bean quesadilla, and it looked so good. It also called for shredded chicken, and as I’ve recently mastered the Top Chef skill of shredding chicken, I decided it was something I needed to make.
Especially because I love quesadillas. I make them with sauteed onions and peppers and cheese. Or sometimes with refried beans and cheese. And I love Applebee’s quesadilla with chicken, bacon and – you guessed it – cheese. So Amy’s chicken and black bean combo sounded like a good idea.
But could I just follow the recipe? Noooo. Of course not.
So last Monday, I baked a pan of chicken. And then I shredded some of it. I looked at it for a minute and decided it needed a little something. So I shook about half a packet of taco seasoning on it. Yeah, that’s better, I thought. (And it was. This isn’t the part that didn’t work out. Just so you know.)
Then I opened up my can of black beans, scooped out some and smashed them. Not completely, though. Beans are actually pretty slippery and kind of hard to smash. Then I added some chopped onion.
I put the beans, then the chicken, then some cheese on a tortilla. I topped it with another tortilla and baked it. Flipped it. Baked some more. And ate it.
It was . . . okay.
So on Tuesday night, I decided to add some green chilies to the mix. And I actually mixed it all together – the chicken, the beans and the chilies. Topped it with cheese, baked, flipped, baked, ate.
It was . . . not bad. But actually kind of bland.
So Wednesday night, I gave in and followed Amy’s recipe. I mixed shredded chicken, black beans, salsa and shredded cheese. I put the mixture in tortillas and baked it. (I don’t like making quesadillas in a skillet. Baking just works better for me.)
And you know what? It was really, really good. (Especially when I added a good-sized dollop of sour cream, but let’s be honest: I did that all three nights.)
I’m writing this on Wednesday night, and I can tell you two things. One, I won’t be eating a quesadilla for a while. (Except for tomorrow night, because I’ve got leftovers, okay?) And two, I should’ve just followed the recipe in the first place. Amy knew what she was talking about.
So take it from me. Follow this recipe:
Chicken and Black Bean Quesadillas
- 1 can black beans, drained
- 1 cup cooked, shredded chicken
- 1 cup salsa
- 1-2 cups shredded cheese
- soft taco sized tortillas
Mash black beans with a fork. (Try it and tell me it’s easy. Just tell me that.) Add chicken, salsa, and cheese. Spread 1/4 mixture on a tortilla and top with another tortilla. Bake it for 10 minutes on each side at 350, or fry it in a skillet.
Serve with sour cream. And lettuce, if you must. Makes 4 quesadillas.
Do you like quesadillas? What do you put in them?
This post will be linked to Mouthwatering Monday, Tasty Tuesday, Tuesdays at the Table and Tempt My Tummy Tuesday.
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