Spinach Artichoke and Chicken Quesadilla
Crispy, cheesy quesadillas filled with spinach, artichoke hearts and rotisserie chicken. Yes, that’s right….rotisserie chicken from your local grocery store. These Spinach Artichoke and Chicken Quesadillas come together quickly and easily making them perfect for busy weeknight dinners.
Let’s be real for a second….or 300 seconds. However long it takes for me to come clean here. As you may know, I used to work outside the home…in a real office cubicle. And, almost, everyday I’d come home from work and make dinner. From scratch…from a recipe I found online or in a magazine or on a cooking show. Whatever it is, I made it and fed my family. NOW…you’d think I’d be doing the same thing. After all, I’m home cooking all day long. Braising, grilling, baking, sautéing.
But the reality is…sometimes I’m burned out, literally, by the time dinner rolls around. And sometimes….it’s cake. Like I made cakes and cookies and brownies all day long….not really appropriate for a healthy dinner. Ok, maybe appropriate but not healthy. I would never turn down cake for dinner. But being the responsible adult that I am, I want to “offer” a healthier option to the people that live here with me. I had to take myself back to a simpler time…one where I worked in my cubicle all day long without distractions from the dog, Landon and others that are home all day too. (Seriously though….I just had to stop typing to put the legs back on the T-Rex.)
So, I thought hard about how I was able to get dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes and several recipes came flooding back…like my Cheeseburger Macaroni Skillet and Skinny Beef Stroganoff. And quesadillas….quesadillas are king, especially when you are enlisting help from your local grocery store. I used to go and pick up a rotisserie chicken during my lunch break when I remembered (and panicked) I forgot to take something out of the freezer for dinner. Rotisserie chicken is a life-saver. It makes this Spinach Artichoke Quesadilla come together in a snap. And you’ll have two pans to clean, one that you’ll sauté everything in to warm it through…and one to cook the quesadillas in. You do have to cook the quesadillas one at a time but they take minutes and really….it’s kinda therapeutic. You can just stand there and watch the cheese melt, spilling into the pan and creating a crispy, golden edge. That’s the best bite right there. And you made it happen, in minutes.
Get the Recipe: Spinach Artichoke and Chicken Quesadilla
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 8- ounce package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 pre-made rotisserie chicken, breast meat only
- 8 corn tortillas
- 2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese
Instructions
- In a medium skillet, add the olive oil and heat over med-high heat. Add the artichokes and sauté until warm. Stir in the spinach, garlic and chicken continuing to cook until the spinach is slightly wilted. Turn off the heat and set aside.
- In a small skillet over med-high heat and coated with cooking spray, add on corn tortilla. Top the tortilla with 1/4 cup of cheese and then spoon 1/4 of the spinach/chicken mixture over the cheese. Top with another 1/4 cup of cheese and place a corn tortilla on top of that. Spray with cooking spray and cover with a lid. Allow the quesadilla to cook for 2-3 minutes and then carefully flip over. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes and then transfer to a plate. Cut into quarters and serve immediately. Repeat procedure with the remaining tortillas.
- Note: The spinach/chicken mixture can be made a day in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Warm before adding to your quesadilla.
25 Comments on “Spinach Artichoke and Chicken Quesadilla”
How big are the corn tortillas you buy? I need to know for the calories. Thank you!
They’re the smaller corn tortillas, for tacos, not burritos.
Made these for dinner. My hubby loved them. He said he’d have them again. Very quick and easy. I baked mine own chicken.
They’re so tasty! And easy! Thanks for your comment!
Shred or chop chicken? How finely?
Either will work, I usually shred into small, bite-sized pieces. It’s all about personal preference.
I just made this tonight, it was easy and tasted great! This will definitely be added to our work week rotation. My husband added a little hot sauce and I dipped mine in salsa to kick it up a bit. My picky 3 year old enjoyed it too! Thanks for sharing this recipe!!
Love the addition of salsa and hot sauce! I’ll be trying that!
I’ve never seen corn tortillas used before and the photo looks more like flour tortillas were used. Was the corn a miss print in the receipe?
Nope! I used corn tortillas because that’s what my family prefers. You can definitely use flour if you’d like.
And don’t forget that delicious corn tortillas have less than half the calories of equally sized flour tortillas and a lot more fiber. I like to use the corn ones, too, and just because I love the taste of them–the calorie saving is a bonus
If I were to make these the night before, what is the best way to reheat them?
I don’t have access to frozen artichoke hearts. Can I substitute 8 ounces canned artichoke hearts?
Absolutely! I would recommend giving them a thorough rinse and then gently squeeze some of the water out before using in the recipe. Thank you for visiting!
What brand of corn tortillas ?
You can use any brand you like.
The tortillas pictured in this recipe are flour tortillas – not corn. Quesadillas are typically made from the flour ones. The recipe looks really delicious either way!
Not a fan of artichokes. Is there a substitute?
You could do scallions for a little extra flavor but the quesadillas are fantastic if you just leave out the artichokes entirely. Thanks so much for stopping by!
I bet green chiles would be good.
YESSSSS!
This is an awesome simple dinner idea that I will absolutely be making…I’m usually burned out by dinner also from chasing 3 kids around all day in addition to trying to cook and bake 🙂
I love quesadillas! These look really tasty!
Leave out!
You can never go wrong with spinach and artichoke! And quesadillas are so an easy dinner!