This being Super Bowl week, I’ve been reminded of my close brush with culinary greatness one year ago. It all started when Noble Pig came up with a Super Bowl recipe contest. It was a no-brainer: my signature recipe, one of the two best foods I’ve developed, was a perfect match. With a $250 Sam’s Club gift card dangling as a virtual carrot, 1,026 entries found their way to the Noble One’s mailbox.
I knew that something was very right and very wrong when I got an e-mail asking a simple question: what’s quesadilla cheese, and where do you get it? That meant two things to me. First, she found my recipe intriguing; second, there was an element of the recipe that was going to kill my chances. Turned out I was right. I answered the question, but the wrong way; I should have said, instead, that any white meltable cheese, and even white cheese dip, would work.
You can see the aftermath here. Sure enough, she specified there that she chose recipes with “easy to find ingredients.” Of course, cheese dip is pretty easy to find; quesadilla cheese may not be. Of those 1k entries, I made the top 11, ending up with an “honorable mention.” Still and all, not a bad showing for a non-chef-dude.
So here it is, folks. This the recipe that didn’t make me famous.
Chipotle-Cinnamon Apple-Compote Quesadillas
Prep Time: 10 min.
Cook Time: 20 min.
Ready In: 30 min.
Servings: 4 (Yields 16 triangles)
Ingredients
- 13 oz. can chicken (doesn’t have to be breast) with packing liquid
- 1.5 Tbs. butter
- 1.5 Tbs. olive oil
- 2 tsp. chipotle rub (recipe below)
- 2 Tbs. apple butter (from Apple Barn in Gatlinburg; if not available, as good quality as possible)
- 8 oz. shredded quesadilla cheese
- 4 slices white american cheese (the really cheap wrapped sandwich slices. Trust me on this one)
- 4 burrito-size white soft tortilla shells
- yet another Tbs. butter
- CHIPOTLE RUB:
- 1/2 tsp. chipotle chile powder
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1.5 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp. dried basil
- 1/4 tsp. marjoram
- 1 Tbs. season salt
- 2 Tbs. cinnamon
Directions
- Mix the chipotle rub ingredients together. You’ll have extra rub left over for another day.
- In a skillet, melt the butter with olive oil over medium heat. Add chicken and liquid; crush chicken to shreds with spatula. Add chipotle rub. Mix well. Add apple butter. Stirring regularly, simmer until there is no standing liquid but meat is still very wet.
- Spread 1 oz. shredded cheese over half a shell. Spread 1/4 of the meat across the cheese. Spread another 1 oz. shredded cheese over the meat. Take one slice of american cheese, tear into several thin strips, and spread out evenly. Fold shell in half.
- Melt a tablespoon of butter in a large skillet or griddle heated to 275 degrees and add the quesadilla. When golden brown, flip. Remove when gorgeous, make the other three. Cut each into four triangles and enjoy this spectacular culinary delight.
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2 Responses
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These are great! Thanks for posting this recipe. They’re even good as cold leftovers. Now … where’s the chocolate chip cookie recipe?
P.S.You’re always famous in our book.
Ask and ye shall receive … the cookie recipe is posted. Enjoy!