Baked Quesadillas with Creamy Cilantro Jalapeno Sauce

Baked Quesadillas with Creamy Cilantro Jalapeno Sauce contain chicken, corn, spinach, and bell peppers, mixed with a creamy sauce, then baked until crispy. They are served with a fresh, homemade pico de gallo.

Baked Quesadillas with Creamy Cilantro Jalapeno Sauce

I saw a recipe for Skillet-Grilled Burritos on Aggie’s Kitchen, and thought they sounded good.  As I started to go through the recipe, I decided to turn these into quesadillas – to just divide up the mixture into 2 servings spread between two large tortillas.  This worked fine, but it was a lot of food!  I probably should have divided the mixture into 4 quesadillas and kept two as leftovers.  

Instead of cooking these in a skillet, I made them in the oven on a pizza pan. So what started out as Skilled-Grilled Burritos ended up as Baked Quesadillas.  I made enough changes that I’m typing up my version below and linking the original at the end.  

Despite the changes, this is a great recipe.  I was amazed how the vegetables gained such a bright and cheerful color during cooking – maybe because I used fresh corn.  We like the creamy sauce and the pico de gallo.  Although, I think the pico de gallo will be much better during the summer when the tomatoes are more flavorful. Fresh pico de gallo is great in these Pico de Gallo Chicken Quesadillas!

Gluten Free Baked Quesadillas

Use gluten free flour tortillas for these quesadillas to make the recipe entirely gluten free.  

Looking for More Mexican / Tex/Mex Recipes?

Check out these other Mexican and Tex/Mex recipes:
Pico de Gallo Chicken Quesadillas
Chicken and Spinach Chicken Quesadillas
Costco Copycat Chicken Street Tacos
Costco Copycat Cilantro Lime Crema
Turkey Tacos
Chicken Enchiladas with Red Chile Sauce
Red Chili Chicken and Rice
Panera Chile Lime Ranch Dressing
Panera Southwest Chile Lime Ranch Salad with Chicken
Grilled Chicken Fajitas
Skillet Chicken Fajitas
Chicken Mexican Pizzas
Baked Southwestern Egg Rolls
Mexican Rice
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Layered Taco Dip
Jalapeno Popper Dip

And for dessert . . .
Sweet Corn Tomalito – Chevy’s Copycat
Mexican Chocolate Cupcakes with Cheesecake Filling
Cinnamon Ice Cream
Easy Homemade Dulce de Leche
Tres Leches Coconut Cupcakes with Dulce de Leche Buttercream
Samoa Cupcakes with Easy Dulce de Leche Buttercream

or see all of my Mexican recipes HERE.

Baked Quesadillas with Creamy Cilantro Jalapeno Sauce

Baked Quesadillas with Creamy Cilantro Jalapeno Sauce

Meghan
Baked Quesadillas with Creamy Cilantro Jalapeno Sauce contain chicken, corn, spinach, and bell peppers, mixed with a creamy sauce, then baked until crispy. They are served with a fresh, homemade pico de gallo.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

For the Pico de Gallo:

  • 6 Roma tomatoes
  • 1/2 medium sweet onion (diced finely)
  • 1/2 of a good sized jalapeno
  • 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro (minced)
  • juice of 1/2 large lime
  • 1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • pinch of salt
  • dash of ground black pepper

For the Creamy Cilantro Jalapeno Sauce:

  • 1 cup light sour cream
  • 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves (chopped)
  • 4 ounces canned chopped green chilies
  • 2 teaspoons chopped yellow onion
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon lime zest

For the Filling:

  • 2 baked chicken breasts (shredded)
  • 1 ear of corn (kernels removed from the cob with a knife)
  • 1 red pepper (chopped)
  • 10 ounces fresh spinach (chopped)
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

For the Quesadillas:

  • 4 large flour tortillas (warmed)
  • Cooking spray

Instructions
 

Make the Pico de Gallo:

  • Wash tomatoes, halve and scoop out to discard seeds and innards. Slice tomato halves into thin strips and finely dice and place into a large bowl.
  • Halve jalapeno and scoop out to discard seeds. Slice into thin strips and mince. Add to bowl with tomatoes.
  • Add remaining ingredients, salt and pepper to taste. Set aside to make the sauce.

Make the Creamy Cilantro Jalapeno Sauce:

  • Stir together all ingredients in a small bowl.
  • Cover and chill for 30 minute.  Store in airtight container for up to 2 days.

Make the Filling:

  • Preheat the oven to 375°F.
  • In a saucepan, cook the corn and the red pepper in a little olive oil for a few minutes, then add the fresh spinach and cook until wilted.  Remove from heat.  Add vegetable mixture to a bowl containing the shredded chicken, and then stir in 1/2 cup Creamy Cilantro Jalapeno Sauce.
  • Divide the chicken mixture among tortillas.  Fold over tortillas and coat outside with cooking spray.
  • Place quesadillas on a pizza pan and bake until warmed through and lightly browned.  Serve with remaining Creamy Cilantro Jalapeno Sauce and pico de gallo.

Notes

Filling and Sauce Source:  Adapted from Aggie’s Kitchen and Southern Living
Source:  Adapted from Good Things Catered
You’re Gonna Bake It After All
bakeitafterall.com
Keyword chicken, gluten free, main dish, mexican


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating