Chicken Bell Pepper Quesadillas

Makes 4 quesadillas

Ingredients

4 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil (or other cooking oil), divided *

1 lb. chicken breast, cut into thin strips

1 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. chili powder

1 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1 cup halved and sliced bell pepper (green, red, or yellow peppers will all work)

1 (14.5 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed

4 whole-wheat flour tortillas (“soft taco” size is generally what the package will say)

3 cups shredded Monterey jack cheese or Mexican cheese blend, plus more as needed

Serve with guacamole, sour cream, and salsa

(*divided means that the oil will be divided between different steps, and not used all at once)

  1. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil a large skillet. Add chicken, and coat with salt, chili powder, cumin, and garlic powder. Stir to coat, and cook 5-7 minutes, until browned on all sides, and cooked most of the way through.

  2. Add the peppers and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until they are soft. Add black beans and cook for another 2-3 minutes to warm. Remove chicken, peppers, and beans from the pan and set aside.

  3. Lay a tortilla flat, and add a layer of cheese on half of the tortilla. Add a layer of cooked chicken, peppers and black beans on top of the cheese. Top with more cheese and fold the tortilla in half. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.

  4. Add another 2-3 tsp of oil to the pan, and cook for 2-4 minutes over medium heat, then flip the quesadilla, and cook for another 2-4 minutes on the other side, until the tortillas are lightly browned and crispy, and the cheese is melted.

  5. Repeat with additional quesadillas, adding more oil as needed.

  6. Serve with salsa, guacamole, and sour cream on the side.

Tips

  • This recipe has been adapted from a recipe on Tasty.com. If you want a video reference to see how this recipe is done, you can see the whole video here - https://tasty.co/recipe/chicken-fajita-quesadilla

    • P.S. It’s only a 2 minute video, so if you’re confused at all on how to this made, definitely check it out!

  • This recipe will make 4 quesadillas, so depending on how much you and your family eat, you may want to bump up the recipe up a little bit to make one or two more quesadillas.

  • To make this recipe healthier, go light on the cheese. Quesadillas are often LOADED with cheese, and it’s really not necessary to add that much. Three cups should be plenty, but add more if necessary for Neve to enjoy the recipe.

  • You may make this recipe without the beans, but they will add a lot of nutrition that will be very beneficial for Neve. I find that because the beans and veggies are somewhat hidden inside of the quesadilla and coated in cheese, they probably won’t impact the flavor of this recipe very much, and I have a feeling Neve will not mind that they’re there.

Ben Mastracco