“What do you want for dinner?” “I don’t care. What do you want for dinner?” If you and your partner haven’t had this nightmare-inducing conversation at least once, have you even lived? This flavorful Greek Quesadilla recipe is the antidote to those nights when you can’t decide between gyros or tacos.
The pesto is garlicky, the chicken is juicy, and the feta adds a satisfying saltiness. To make it a real Greek Quesadilla, serve with tzatziki, the king of all condiments. Check out my simple tzatziki recipe here.
Makes 5 servings
Ingredients
Chicken
2 chicken breasts
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Spinach-Walnut Pesto
1/2 cup walnuts
4 garlic cloves
2 cups spinach
1 tablespoon lemon juice (about 1/2 large lemon)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
Quesadilla
Burrito-size flour tortillas
Shredded mozzarella
Crumbled feta
Sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
Tzatziki, for dipping
Directions
Chicken
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Season chicken on both sides with garlic powder, oregano, salt, and pepper.
3. Heat a cast-iron skillet or other ovenproof pan over medium-high heat. Sear chicken about 4 minutes on each side.
4. Transfer skillet to oven. Bake for 20 minutes or until an internal thermometer reaches 155 degrees. Let rest for 5 minutes.
5. Transfer chicken to a cutting board, reserving pan drippings. Dice chicken into 1/2-inch pieces and throw back into reserved pan drippings. Toss to coat and set aside.
Spinach-Walnut Pesto
1. While chicken is in the oven, spread walnuts on a cookie sheet.
2. Bake for 8 minutes, tossing a few times to prevent burning.
3. Add toasted walnuts and garlic to a small food processor. Process until minced.
4. Add spinach in batches and process until combined. Scrape sides of food processor as needed.
5. Add lemon, salt, and pepper and process until combined.
6. While food processor is on, stream in olive oil.
7. Add 1/4 cup Greek yogurt and process until combined. The addition of yogurt makes the pesto smooth and spreadable.
Quesadilla
1. Heat large skillet over medium heat.
2. To build a quesadilla, spread 2 tablespoons pesto on tortilla. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup feta. Spread 1/2 cup chicken and 1 tablespoon sun-dried tomatoes evenly on one half of the tortilla.
3. Grease skillet with cooking spray or butter. Add unfolded quesadilla to skillet. Once mozzarella begins to melt, use a wide spatula to fold tortilla in half. Brown both sides of quesadilla.
4. Transfer to a plate or cutting board. Cut into 4 pieces. Tip: To make cutting easier, use a rolling pizza cutter. Serve with tzatziki or desired condiment.
