Quesadilla Explosion Salad (ala Chili's) Recipe
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Ingredients: |
Ingredients: Ingredients
1 cup of Citrus Balasamic Vinaigrette (recipe below if you prefer home made. I just use a favorite bottled dressing like Marzetti's Avocado Ranch from the refrigerated produce aisle)
1 cup Chipotle Ranch Dressing (recipe below. As noted above. Save lots of time and money by using a bottled dressing.)
2-4 boneless fajita marinated chicken breasts or cutlets (You have 3 options. You can use frozen marinated fajita chicken strips, make your own marinade and use chicken breast meat that you can cook separately, or frozen breaded chicken patties. I have used breaded chicken patties, if your guest prefers the extra crispiness of the coating. The cutlet can be cooked in an air fryer for extra crispiness and then sliced into strips for placement on the salad. Since the salad can have a high caloric content, you may prefer to skip the breading, but most of the calories are in the dressing. Having said that, creamy dressings really taste the best.) I have used the raw, then cooked chicken, but have also found that I prefer to save time using frozen fajita strips because they are already marinated with great Mexican flavor).
Salad greens of your choice *As per your guests' preferences. I use spinach & spring mix)
For the Corn Relish (This is best when homemade)
½ can of black beans, drained and rinsed
½ can of corn
3 Roma tomatoes
½ Bell Pepper
2 tbsp minced cilantro
½ diced red onion
1 tsp lime juice
½ tsp sugar
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
Note: It is also fun to add a mild mango or fresh tomato salsa to the salad as a garnish. The fresh flavors really amp up the wow! factor and promote an explosion of flavors in your mouth. The best part is that you can simply buy it pre-made and spoon it in a straight line on the top of the salad. Alternate the avocado, salsa, corn relish and tomatoes however you like.
Chicken: For the Fajita Marinated Chicken, Tyson makes a nice alternative. Or, use thawed chicken strips or sliced fresh breast meat.
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts halved and sliced into strips
2½ cups water
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
1½ tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
Chicken seasoning of choice
For the Chipotle Ranch Dressing or use a bottled version that your family likes
½ cup Ranch Dressing
1 tsp chopped canned chipotle pepper
For the Citric Balsamic Vinaigrette or use a bottled version your family likes
1 cup canola oil
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp mustard
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp minced garlic
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
For the Tortilla Strips there are 2 options. Just buy pre-made mini tortilla strips from the produce section/salad section. They are smaller, have less calories, and add tremendous crunch! Plus, no extra cooking. Saves time and adds color (blue, white, and red). If you prefer to cook them yourself, cut any 3 tortillas (I prefer corn tortillas for the toppings and flour tortillas for the quesadillas) into thin, manageable strips, drop them in the hot oil so they don't stick together, and drain after a few moments of frying. Peanut oil or canola can be used in your fryer.
For the Quesadillas
8 flour tortillas. They can be any size you want. Depends on how many people you are serving and how much space you want to use on the plate. (The 5-8 inch diameter ones are fine.)
Butter or vegetable oil spray (I prefer to use PAM or a little canola spray to save calories)
1 cup shredded cheese of your choice. You can use half cheddar and half Monterey jack cheese or just pick up a bag of Taco blend or Mexican blend cheese in the dairy department. It's easier; just open the bag and sprinkle wherever it is needed!)
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Directions: |
Directions:Ingredients
1 cup of Citrus Balsamic Vinaigrette (recipe below)
1 cup Chipotle Ranch Dressing (recipe below)
2 boneless fajita marinated chicken (recipe below)
Salad greens of your choice
2-3 Ripe Avocados
For the Corn relish
½ can of black beans, drained and rinsed
½ can of corn
3 Roma tomatoes
½ Bell Pepper
2 tbsp minced cilantro
½ diced red onion
1 tsp lime juice
½ tsp sugar
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
For the Fajita Marinated Chicken
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts halved
2½ cups water
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt
1½ tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
Chicken seasoning of choice
For the Chipotle Ranch Dressing
½ cup Ranch Dressing
1 tsp chopped canned chipotle pepper
For the Citric Balsamic Vinaigrette
1 cup canola oil
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp mustard
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp minced garlic
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
For the Tortilla Strips
Any 3 tortillas
peanut or canola oil
For the Quesadillas
8 tortillas
butter or some vegetable oil to brush on the pan or the surface of the tortillas
1 cup shredded cheese of your choice. I used half cheddar and half Monterey Jack cheese
Instructions
First lets make the marinade for the chicken breast. Since the chicken breasts are too thick for my taste I half them. Combine the 2½ cups water, 2 tbsp sugar, 2 tsp salt, 1½ tsp cumin, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder. Marinate for at least 2 hours. While the chicken is marinating go and make the Chipotle Ranch salad dressings. You can make your own Ranch Dressing or buy the bottled one and add the Chipotle pepper. Or, skip this work altogether and just buy a favorite pre-made dressing.
For the Balsamic Vinaigrette whisk all ingredients and refrigerate until ready to use.
Make the Corn Relish. Rinse the corn and beans, add tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, cilantro, lime juice, sugar, salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Stack the tortillas and cut into thin, manageable strips. Fry or bake the tortilla strips until crispy, cool on paper towels to drain.
Preheat the panini maker or your frying pan and spray with some olive oil. Season the halved chicken breast with a chicken seasoning of your choice. Grill the chicken breast for 4-5 minutes on each side, until done. Keep the chicken warm and slice when ready to use.
pread butter on both outsides of the tortillas. Top one side of the tortilla with your choice of cheese, and top it with the other tortilla. Put some butter in a hot skillet. Fry the tortillas on both sides. It shouldn’t take but a minute. Once they are done, you can cut them into wedges using a pizza cutter or knife.
Avocado Prep: Half the avocados and remove the pits. Scoop out the fruit and cut it into a dice of about 1/2 inch per piece. Ensure it is dressed in lemon or lime juice to inhibit oxidation/browning of the fruit.
Wash salad greens and place them in a large bowl or a large platter. The next ingredients can be added in a number of ways. You can scatter the corn, avocado, relishes, etc. in any way. It is also nice to add it artfully in a straight line to add a little design to the presentation. Add the corn relish to the salad greens. Add the sliced chicken breast, avocado, and shredded cheeses. Toss with the desired amount of the Citrus Balsamic Vinaigrette and or Ranch Chipotle dressing. Add the Cheese Quesadillas and serve with the deep fried tortilla strips. Scatter tomato wedges or halved cherry tomatoes for color and taste. The quesadilla wedges are tucked along the edge of the salad bowl or platter so that guests can grab them and use them to complement their salad. |
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Number Of
Servings: |
Number Of
Servings:6-8, depending upon portion size. It is easily sized for a crowd. |
Preparation
Time: |
Preparation
Time:30 minutes |
Personal
Notes: |
Personal
Notes: This salad has been used for several occasions and never disappoints. It has flavor, crunch, and creaminess. I prefer to present it on a large platter for visual impact, but have also had good success with individual servings on salad plates instead of bowls. The best part is that several ingredients can be purchased pre-made to save time and add exotic twists on flavor. Use whatever your guests like! The added warmth and crunchiness of the quesadillas adds a little variety for your palate. Lastly, the chicken can be grilled or breaded, once again adding taste variation to suit your guests' preference. You might enjoy adding this to your repertoire!
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