Part 3: Frugal Chicken Series- Chicken and Black Bean Quesadillas

And last but not least the final part of my 3 Part Frugal Chicken Series!!!

My last recipe is Chicken and Black bean Quesadilla's!!!

I had about 1 1/4 cups of chicken leftover from my crock pot chicken so these were a quick, easy, and healthy choice to use the rest of my chicken up with!

Ingredients:

Cooked chicken

1 can black beans (or cooked dried black beans)

salsa

cheddar cheese

Tortilla shells

The amounts of each really aren't important. It really depends on personal preference for how much of each ingredient you would like.

First, I put the black beans and cooked chicken in a saute pan and placed on medium heat to warm them up.

Next, I sprinkled taco seasoning on the chicken and black beans while they were heating up (just do this to taste, no need to add water, I typically just sprinkle a light coating on them.
Next, if you buy block cheese shred some up so its easy to throw in once you start assembling your quesadilla.

Then heat up a flat griddle on medium heat or you can use a larger bottom saute pan if you don't own a griddle. Once heated (you know if its hot enough by taking a little water and sprinkling it onto the hot pan- if you hear a slight sizzle its ready, if it sizzles and crackles loudly and smokes slightly then your pan is too hot. Once your pan is the correct temperature, then add a little olive oil and spread it around the pan.

Toss your tortilla on and start adding on your chicken/black bean mixture, cheese, and salsa ingredients in the amounts you desire (aka....toddler mouths might not be able to handle much salsa if any at all, or you might have a person in your household who loves spicy salsa so use that on theirs instead). You can also throw in other ingredients here as well: corn, avocado, etc. Also keep in mind that the cheese is the glue that helps this all stick together. If you want a healthier option than use less cheese, but be aware that it maybe a bit messier.

Place a second tortilla on top of your already filled bottom tortilla shell.

Flip the tortilla over when the bottom is golden brown.
Once both sides are golden brown I transfer my quesadilla to a cutting board and cut it into 8 pieces.
Serve with guacamole, sour cream, salsa, or just by itself. I had to share a picture of Abbie's plate that her grandma got her for Christmas....my hubby is a chef, so she had to get this when she saw that it said "Sous Chef."
Here is a picture of Abbie enjoying her quesadilla. She is currently, like any baby/toddler on a carb kick....so she is enjoying the tortilla in this particular picture, but I know this will be a quick, easy, healthy staple in our household for years to come!

The best part is....I had enough extra ingredients to make more quesadillas that I already assembled and cooked and now I will just wrap them and freeze them for another night. Once we decide to eat them all I have to do is heat up a pizza stone in our oven and warm them up on there...they will be crisp and ready to eat again in no time!

So not only did I accomplish what I set out to do.... turning 1 whole chicken into 3 meals, but I actually made 4 meals out of it if you include the leftovers I was able to freeze!

I encourage you to step out of your own comfort zone and challenge yourself to do something with your own whole chicken......for about $5 you can have enough meat for 3 or 4 meals of your own (depending on the size of your family it maybe less, but I know it will be a money saver for you regardless of your family size!). If you do take on the challenge please comment or email me at the_bridge83@gmail.com and let me know what you did. I'd love to hear even more quick and healthy recipe options for what I can use my chicken for in the future!!