Blackened Chicken Quesadilla

The quesadilla goes Cajun in this creative take on a popular appetizer. Filled with blackened chicken flavored with McCormick Culinary® Blackened Seasoning, the Cajun Trinity, melted cheese, and a creamy avocado verde to seal the deal for a perfect balance of creaminess, tang, and heat.

Ingredients

Procedure

Avocado Verde Salsa

1. In a food processor add all the ingredients and blend until smooth. Hold for service.

Blackened Chicken Quesadilla

1. Season the chicken breasts generously on both sides with the seasoning. In a large cast iron pan add a high smoke point oil and sear chicken breast on both side until dark color is developed. Finish chicken in a 350F oven until internal temperature reads 165F. Allow to cool and cut into a medium dice.
2. In a large sauté pan, heat oil and sauté the onions, garlic, jalapenos until the onions are caramelized. Add the celery and bell peppers and sauté until slightly softened. Add seasoning and stir to combine. Hold sauteed trinity mixture warm for service.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the two shredded cheeses. Hold for service.

Service

1. For each quesadilla, lightly oil griddle or large sauté pan on medium high heat. For each quesadilla, place 1 tortilla down and sprinkle entire tortilla with 1/3 cup of cheese mixture, 2/3 cup of diced chicken, 1/2 cup of trinity mixture, and top with remaining 1/3 cup of cheese. Top with additional tortilla and allow the cheese to slightly melt before flipping. Allow both sides of the tortilla to become golden brown before removing and cutting into 6 wedges. Serve immediately with Avocado Verde Sauce.