Chicken and Cheese Quesadilla

About

You will occasionally come across those keto recipes that actually turn out better than the original, non-keto version. This quesadilla recipe is just that! A taco-seasoned chicken filling is encased in a better-than-tortilla crispy cheese crust made of cheddar and pepperjack. The cheese “tortilla” is strong enough to hold all the filling, handle slicing, and allow you to eat this hand-held lunch.

Ingredients

1 ½ teaspoon olive oil
6 ounce boneless skinless chicken breast
⅛ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
⅛ teaspoon garlic, powder
⅛ teaspoon cumin, ground
⅛ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon paprika
½ cup, shredded cheddar cheese, natural
¼ cup, shredded pepper jack cheese
2 ounce avocado

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a non-stick pan over high heat. Place in the chicken breast and cook for about 4 minutes per side (you can use a lid on the pan to help thorough cooking). Cook the chicken until both sides have a crispy brown edge to them. If you’d like to cook your chicken darker for this recipe, you can.
Transfer the cooked chicken aside to cool. Once cooled enough to handle, use a pair of forks, or a fork and knife, to finely shred the chicken. Toss the chicken shreds in a bowl with all the seasonings.
In a separate bowl, shred and combine the cheddar and pepperjack cheeses.
In a 10 inch non-stick pan, spread the cheese out to form your tortilla. The thinner the tortilla, the easier and more consistent the cooking will be.
Heat the pan on low heat and slowly melt the cheeses until they turn a dark golden in the center and around the edges. You will see the cheese separate slightly as the fat escapes through the small air bubbles that form all over the tortilla. This process can take up to 10 minutes or even longer, depending on your heat.
Quickly use a spatula to transfer the cheese tortilla to a sheet of parchment paper or onto another non-stick surface. It should remain in a pretty firm circle. Spread the seasoned chicken on half of the tortilla. Then, use your spatula to fold the open side of the tortilla over the chicken to form your quesadilla. You can use the spatula to hold the tortilla in place as the cheese continues to harden and keep its shape.
Serve your quesadilla with sliced avocado and freshly chopped cilantro. Other great toppings are sour cream, keto salsa, keto guacamole, or your favorite hot sauce. Enjoy!