A fresh salsa verde pulls double duty in this quesadilla recipe. First, the chicken gets cooked in the salsa to help impart flavor and keep it moist. Then, the salsa verde gets served alongside the quesadillas for dipping. Green chiles add a touch of heat to complete the dish.
- 8 cups water
- ¾ pound tomatillos, husked (about 7 small)
- ¼ medium white onion, cut into quarters
- 1 serrano pepper, halved, seeded and stemmed
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 large clove garlic, peeled
- ¼ teaspoon salt plus 1/8 teaspoon, divided
- 14 ounces chicken tenders
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 6 8 inch flour tortillas
- 1 ¼ cups shredded pepper Jack cheese
- 6 tablespoons canned diced green chiles
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Bring water to a boil in a covered medium pot. Add tomatillos, onion and serrano; boil, covered, for 10 minutes.
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Drain the vegetables and transfer to a blender. Add cilantro, broth, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; pulse until chunky, about 5 pulses (use caution when blending hot ingredients).
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Pat chicken dry. Sprinkle with cumin, oregano and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt. Return 1 cup salsa verde to the medium pot and bring to a light boil over medium-low heat (reserve the remaining salsa verde for serving). Add the chicken, stirring to coat. Cook, covered and stirring once, until the chicken is cooked through, about 8 minutes.
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Remove from heat and, using two forks, pull the chicken apart until completely shredded. Return to medium-low heat and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.
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To assemble quesadillas, spoon 5 tablespoons pulled chicken onto one half of a tortilla. Top with 3 tablespoons cheese and 1 tablespoon chiles; fold to close. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
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Heat a large nonstick pan over medium-low heat. Cook 2 or 3 quesadillas at a time, flipping once, until crispy and golden and the cheese has melted, about 6 minutes. Repeat with the remaining quesadillas. Serve with the remaining salsa verde.
You can find more details for this recipe at eatingwell.com: Cheesy Pulled Chicken & Green Chile Quesadillas
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