Healthy Chicken Mushroom Quesadillas

Of course, it’s that time of year where I struggle to fit into my jeans and try and get those holiday pounds off! I hate that I do this to myself every year. Every year around the holidays, I tell myself I’m going to be good except Christmas Day, and then I end up just eating bad from the whole Christmas season all the way through the first week of January! Haha. Thankfully I kept working out through that time, or I don’t know how much weight I would’ve gained!

In an effort to get back on track, I went in search of healthy recipes and found this one in the new cookbook I got for Christmas. It’s by Ellie Krieger, called So Easy. The pictures looked mouth watering, so I decided to try it. These were absolutely delicious! They had a nutty flavor and were hearty and so satisfying. I couldn’t believe they were good for me! She does call for spinach leaves, but I opted to leave these out as I didn’t have any on hand. They were still wonderful. These are definitely going into our regular rotation! After making these, I also spotted them on Chef Mommy’s blog, so check her’s out too. Another thing, I also made the chicken ahead of time to make this quicker, but you could also get one of the rotisserie chickens at the grocery and use that to save time too.

Healthy Chicken Mushroom Quesadillas
Source: So Easy by Ellie Krieger, recipe also on foodnetwork.com

Ingredients:
Cooking Spray
1 large onion, chopped
8 ounces white button or baby bella mushrooms
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cooked chopped skinless, boneless chicken breast
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 cups baby spinach leaves, sliced into ribbons (if desired)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
4 (10-inch) whole-grain flour tortillas
1 cup shredded 2 % four cheese blend or sharp cheddar
1/2 cup salsa
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

Directions:
Prepare chicken ahead of time. Spray chicken with cooking spray, sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake in a 350 degree oven for approximately 25 minutes, until cooked through. Cool & regfrigerate until ready to use.

For Quesadillas:
Spray a large skillet with cooking spray, place over a medium heat. Add the onions and mushrooms and cook until the mushroom water is evaporated and they begin to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add chicken, cumin, chili powder and oregano and stir until all spices are incorporated. Add spinach (if desired), salt and pepper and cook until spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes.

Lay 1 tortilla on a flat work surface and on one half of the tortilla, sprinkle 2 tablespoons shredded cheese. Spoon 1/4 chicken mixture on top of cheese, then top with an additional 2 tablespoons cheese. Fold the tortillas over into half-moons, pressing down lightly to seal them closed.

Heat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray over medium heat. Carefully place 2 quesadillas in pan, turning once, until lightly browned and cheese is melted, about 3 minutes per side. Repeat with two remaining quesadillas. Slice each quesadilla into quarters. Place 2 quarters on a plate with 1 tablespoon sour cream and 2 tablespoons salsa.

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Comments

  1. I feel like this is a post I could say I wrote myself–tight pants despite the constant working out, and a recipe that both my husband and I would enjoy–thanks for sharing! Will definitely be trying soon!

  2. I do the exact same thing – vow to be good during the holiday season – and it never happens. This year seemed to be particularly bad for some reason! Your quesadillas look so delicious! I love all the seasoning in there.

  3. mmm this looks so good! I love quesadillas :)!!

  4. This sounds really good! Thanks for sharing. Ellie Krieger has some great recipes, I have her first cookbook!

  5. katskitchen says

    Great recipe, and I think I'll have leftover mushrooms my from stir fry tonight — maybe tomorrow's dinner.

  6. Mmm, what a great healthy twist on quesadillas! I'm trying to skip dessert for a few weeks now too in hopes my pants get a little looser šŸ™‚

  7. cookies and cups says

    These sound so good…and your site is precious! I'm so glad I found it!

  8. I love that we usually have most of these ingredients at any given time. I'll be adding this to my menu next week. We need more quesadilla variety here šŸ™‚

  9. I am definitely going to plan on making these soon! My Husband loves quesadillas, and these are a perfect healthier option!

  10. had these tonight, and they were excellent! Husband came over with a package of taco seasoning trying to add it in (he doesn't think it's Mexican without that package!!) but I told him to let me be, and he really enjoyed the flavor, too! Next time, I'll try it with the spinach because that sounds even better!