Pass the Cook Book Club: Jenny Flake’s Chicken Mango Quesadillas

Welcome to April’s edition of Pass the Cook Book Club, hosted by Kita of Pass the Sushi and Girl Carnivore (her newest brainchild)! This month we cooked from The Picky Palate Cookbook, written by Jenny Flake herself. I was super excited to dig into these recipes because her blog was one of the first food blogs I started reading back in the day.

Originally I had planned on making the mini peanut butter and jelly pies, but decided that I had to try out the quesdillas using mango because I was curious about the flavors. Unfortunately the recipe called for shrimp (being a non-seafood eater), but was an easy fix by substituting with chicken and was overjoyed with the results! Enveloping the chicken was a cream cheese mixture that was exceptionally creamy, while the mangoes added sweetness. You must make these, because every day that goes by without them is a missed opportunity for deliciousness.

One year ago: Chicken & Spinach Alfredo Pizza

Two years ago: Cake Batter Fruit Dip

CHICKEN MANGO QUESADILLAS

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 lb. chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

3/4 tsp salt, divided

1/2 tsp black pepper, divided

6 oz. reduced fat cream cheese, softened

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

4 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened, divided

1 cup chopped mango, divided (I used thawed, frozen mango)

4 whole wheat tortillas

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper and cook, stirring for 5 minutes or until no longer pink. Remove from the heat.
2. In a medium bowl, add the cream cheese, cheddar, cilantro, and remaining salt and pepper and stir until well combined.
3. Heat a separate large skillet over medium heat. Spread 1/4 cup of the cheese spread over the top of the tortilla. Top with 1/4 cup cooked chicken and 1/4 cup chopped mango over half of the tortilla. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in the skillet and place the tortilla in the skillet.
4. With a spatula, fold the tortilla in half, cooking until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Remove from the skillet and cut the quesadilla into wedges to serve. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Source: Adapted slightly from The Picky Palate Cookbook, page 123.