Quesadillas Dipped in Avocado Salsa Verde

Step 1

Start by de-husking the tomatillos and giving them a good rinse. I usually cut out the stems as well. Roast the tomatillos in the oven (400F) for 20 minutes or so. Note: there's leeway on the roasting method, feel free to pan roast the tomatillos or use the broiler. Other ways to roast tomatillos.

Step 2

Once the tomatillos are roasted, add them to a blender or food processor along with: 1/2 small onion, 1 peeled garlic clove, 10-12 sprigs cilantro, 1 jalapeno or serrano. Combine well. Feel free to start with just 1/2 of the jalapeno for a milder batch (or less). To increase heat, simply add additional slivers until it tastes right to you. Once you're happy with the heat, add the flesh of a single avocado and combine well. Transfer Avocado Salsa Verde to a dipping bowl.

Step 3

There's leeway on the quesadillas so feel free to use what you have available. For this batch I cooked up a chicken breast. To do that, combine 1/4 teaspoon salt, freshly cracked black pepper, chile powder, Mexican oregano, olive oil, and the chopped chicken pieces in a mixing bowl. Saute a few tablespoons of chopped onion in a glug of oil over medium heat, then add the seasoned chicken pieces and cook both sides until the chicken is fully cooked through.

Step 4

Prepare the rest of your quesadilla fixings. For this batch that meant chopping up some Jack cheese, about 1/2 cup worth. I also used these refried beans and these Pickled Jalapenos.

Step 5

To build the quesadillas, I usually start by warming up a tortilla in a dry skillet over medium heat. Then I add ingredients to only half of the tortilla so I can fold it onto itself. Each tortilla got a thin layer of refried beans, plenty of cheese, the cooked chicken pieces, and a few Pickled Jalapenos. Cook both sides of the quesadillas in a dry skillet over medium heat until light brown spots are forming. You are welcome to cook them in a smidge of fat, but I cooked this batch dry.

Step 6

Serve your warm, crispy quesadillas immediately next to a bowl of the cool, creamy Avocado Salsa Verde. Enjoy!!