Chicken Quesadilla Grilled Cheese Sandwich Recipe

I love Mexican food. Or probably Tex-Mex to be more accurate. It’s one of my favorite cuisines, and I just love the spicy flavors. Quesadillas in particular are one of my favorite meals to order at a Mexican restaurant. And since quesadillas are basically loads of cheese in between a tortilla, I figured why not swap out the tortilla for some bread and make a chicken quesadilla grilled cheese sandwich recipe? So I tried it a few times, and here’s what’s quickly becoming one of my favorite grilled cheese sandwiches.

What kind of cheese to use for a chicken quesadilla grilled cheese sandwich

When making this sandwich, you could get a bag of pre-shredded Mexican blend cheese. This will usually have three or four different types of cheese in it that come from Mexico or the southwest US. And this is a solid choice.

But be aware that pre-shredded cheeses have a starch coating on them that prevents those little pieces of cheese from sticking to each other while in the bag. Unfortunately that coating means your cheese won’t melt in quite the same way as cheese you shred yourself. It still works, but you won’t get quite the same level of melty, gooey, oozing cheesiness.

So if you’re feeling a bit lazy, grab a bag of Mexican blend cheese. I promise, I won’t judge.

Otherwise, if you want to put a little more work into it, shred your own cheddar, Monterrey Jack, and asadero cheese. And luckily this is a bit flexible.

Can’t find asadero cheese? No worries! Your chicken quesadilla grilled cheese sandwich will work fine with substitutions, like pepperjack or colby depending on which flavors you prefer.

Almost none of the cheeses in a Mexican blend bag are actually Mexican anyway, so “traditional” is already out the window here.

How to make a chicken quesadilla grilled cheese sandwich

This one has a few more steps than a normal grilled cheese sandwich recipe, but it’s still pretty simple to make. And for the extra effort, you’ll be rewarded with a really tasty sandwich.

Shred up some cooked chicken. You’ll need about 3 tablespoons of shredded chicken for one sandwich. Then in a bowl, mix your chicken with a diced jalapeño (seeds removed unless you want it really spicy), 1/4 teaspoon of chipotle hot sauce, and a tablespoon of salsa.

Then mix in 1/2 cup of shredded cheese. This makes for a very cheesy sandwich, and there’s still a little more cheese coming, so if you want to use a little less than 1/2 cup, it’ll be fine. Mixing the cheese in with the chicken and other ingredients helps everything meld together, which is why I don’t do it in layers.

Next, sprinkle about a tablespoon of cheese onto a slice of bread. Then spread the chicken mixture onto the bread and top with one more tablespoon of cheese. I like having a solid cheese layer right against each piece of bread to hold it all together.

Then it’s time to cook your sandwich. Put some butter into the pan, and once it’s completely melted and starts forming tiny little bubbles, your sandwich can go in. Cook for 3-4 minutes on one side, flip, and grill the other side. If the bread isn’t quite golden brown yet, give each side another minute or two.

Enjoy your spicy chicken quesadilla grilled cheese sandwich! Maybe have some chips, salsa, and guacamole on the side. Delicious!

Yield: 1 sandwich

Chicken Quesadilla Grilled Cheese Sandwich

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The Chicken Quesadilla Grilled Cheese Sandwich uses bread instead of a tortilla to turn this delicious Tex-Mex meal a fantastic grilled cheese sandwich. The melted cheese and a spicy kick is the perfect combination.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 slices of bread
• 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp of shredded Mexican blend cheese, divided
• 3 Tbsp of shredded cooked chicken
• 1 diced jalapeño pepper, de-seeded
• 1/4 tsp of chipotle hot sauce
• 1 Tbsp of salsa
• butter

Instructions

1. Heat the pan on medium.
2. Add a slab of butter to the pan and let it melt completely.
3. Combine shredded chicken, chipotle hot sauce, diced jalapeño pepper, and salsa in a bowl. Then combine with the 1/2 cup of shredded cheese.
4. Sprinkle 1 Tbsp of shredded cheese on one slice of bread. Then load on your chicken mixture. Top with the remaining 1 Tbsp of shredded cheese and the other slice of bread.
5. Once the butter is completely melted, coats the whole pan, and starts bubbling a little, put the sandwich into the pan. Cook for about 3-4 minutes on one side, checking to make sure it doesn't burn.
6. Carefully flip the sandwich to grill the other side for another 3-4 minutes. You want golden brown on each side, so you might need to flip again and cook for another minute or two on each side.
7. When both sides are a crispy golden brown and the cheese is melty, your chicken quesadilla grilled cheese sandwich is done and ready to eat.

Notes

Make this gluten free with your favorite gluten free bread.

Serve with a side of chips, salsa, and guacamole!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

1

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 382Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 68mgSodium: 621mgCarbohydrates: 33gFiber: 2gSugar: 5gProtein: 15g

Nutritional information is an estimate provided by a third party app and should not be used in place of the advice of a professional nutritionist.