Cheesy Veggie-Packed Chicken Quesadillas

• 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded
• 1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper
• 1/2 cup finely diced zucchini
• 1/3 cup finely chopped baby spinach
• 1/4 cup finely diced red onion
• 8 medium flour tortillas (8-inch size)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Optional: sour cream and mild salsa for serving

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine shredded chicken, shredded cheddar, shredded mozzarella, red bell pepper, zucchini, spinach, and red onion.
2. Add ground cumin, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper to the chicken and veggie mixture, mixing well to evenly distribute the spices.
3. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat and add a teaspoon of olive oil.
4. Place one tortilla flat in the skillet and evenly spread about 1/2 cup of the chicken and veggie cheese mixture over half of the tortilla.
5. Fold the tortilla over to cover the filling, gently pressing it down with a spatula. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the bottom is golden brown and crispy.
6. Carefully flip the quesadilla and cook the other side for another 3-4 minutes until the cheese melts and the tortilla is crispy on both sides.
7. Remove from the skillet and let cool for a minute before slicing into wedges.
8. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling, adding more olive oil to the skillet as needed.
9. Serve warm with optional sour cream and mild salsa.

Chef tips

• To prevent sogginess, make sure to finely dice the vegetables and pat them dry if they seem watery.
• Use rotisserie chicken or leftover baked chicken to save time.
• For a gluten-free option, substitute flour tortillas with corn tortillas or gluten-free tortillas, but watch for breakage during folding.
• If you don’t have fresh spinach, finely chopped frozen spinach (thawed and squeezed dry) works well.