Quesadillas two ways

Southwest BBQ Pork with caramelized onions avocado and cilantro & Green Chile and Chicken

My favorite part of Super Bowl Sunday is the food and commercials…  Shocking, I know!  When having a Super Bowl party finger food is your best bet.  You need one free hand for the high-five, or a cold beer.  Quesadillas are perfect for game day because they are delicious.  They even taste great at room temperature.  Expedite this appetizer with some pre-made ingredients from the store to make sure everything is ready before kickoff.  Sit back and enjoy the commercials…  I mean game!

Time-1 hour 15 minutes

Servings-8

Ingredients

1 rotisserie chicken, 1 40 oz package of pre-cooked carnitas, 4 burrito size flour tortillas, 1 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce, 1 onion, 3 poblanos, 5 jalapeños, 1 2.2 LB of shredded Mexican cheese, 1 avocado, 1 teaspoon of oil, 1 teaspoon of butter, 1/2 bunch of cilantro chopped, sour cream, salsa, guacamole

Preparation of Quesadilla

Caramelizing onion start by peeling skin off the onion.  Cut onion in half from tip to root.  Then cut perpendicular to grain and cut thin half moon slivers.  Add oil and butter to skillet on medium high heat.  Add onions and distribute evenly in skillet and coat the onions well in the oil.  Keep an eye on your onions you may need to lower temperature to medium-low to prevent burning.  You can add a teaspoon of sugar to expedite the process and a pinch of salt about 15 minutes into cooking.  If onions look dry you can add a little water.  The onions will turn brown in about 30 minutes.  Remove from skillet and set aside.

Toasting peppers you can grill the chile peppers stovetop or on open flame.  Place peppers on grill on high-heat.  Blacken evenly then place in a container with lid to steam for 10 minutes.

Peel the skin off the peppers with a spoon.  Chop into small pieces and discard stem and skin then set aside.

Remove and shred Chicken from carcass and set aside.  Heat up Carnitas according to package instructions and add barbecue sauce and mix until well distributed.  Chop cilantro and set aside.  Open and score avocado and prepare all your toppings to start building your quesadilla.

Building the Green Chile Chicken Quesadilla-in a skillet, comal, or griddle lightly toast tortilla on both sides on medium heat.  Then add cheese, chicken, green peppers and cilantro.

Place second lightly toasted tortilla on top. Allow bottom tortilla to crisp up then flip and toast opposite side. Once cheese is melted take off griddle.  Place on cutting board and cut into 8 slices.

Repeat same method with cheese, pork, onions, cilantro and avocado.

The amount of ingredients you use is entirely up to you.  Remember the cheese is the star of any quesadilla.  Serve with guacamole, sour cream, and salsa.

Enjoy with cold beers and good friends.

Cook’s Note:

1.  Costco has two products I really like to use for the quesadillas.  Del Real Carnitas and Supremo Chihuahua Shredded Quesadilla Cheese.
2. You will have left over ingredients depending if you only make the amount blogged. I made chicken enchiladas with my left over chicken.  Pulled pork sliders with the left over pork.  I blended the left over chiles with some canned tomatillos, cilantro, onion and garlic for a fresh salsa verde.  Waste not want not.
3. I used Baby Ray’s barbecue sauce.
4. For great guacamole and salsa recipes see previous blogs.  Take a Break. It’s Labor Day and Don’t tell anyone I told you this secret! Find under appetizer.