Don’t Let Leftover BBQ Chicken Go To Waste

Quesadilla on a wooden table

Leftover chicken is an ingredient in its own right. Using leftovers as ingredients helps you not to waste food, and it is also much quicker than using ingredients from scratch. If you already have some cooked chicken from last night’s dinner, you are about 15 minutes away from having a delicious meal. One simple recipe to save yourself from throwing out cooked chicken is a BBQ chicken quesadilla.

One of the great things about quesadillas is that they are delicious enough to satisfy foodies and simple enough for picky eaters. Indeed, your kids and table guests alike will love these tasty treats. They will not even realize that the chicken was made ahead of time.

The Ingredients

This recipe relies on leftover chicken and corn. However, you can also make it by cooking chicken and corn or using canned corn.

  • 1 cup diced leftover chicken
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup leftover corn
  • 1 cup barbecue sauce
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar
  • Eight tortillas
  • Sour cream and salsa for serving

Most of these ingredients are staples that you should keep on hand. Tortillas and cheddar are cheap, and quesadillas always make a great meal.

Directions

Dice the chicken as small as you can and add salt and pepper. Then heat the BBQ sauce in a pan. Add the chicken and corn to heat them, then set this aside.

Heat a pan over medium heat and place one tortilla face down. Spread the shredded cheese and BBQ chicken on it before topping with another tortilla. After one side has browned, flip it to brown the other side. Remove the quesadilla once the cheese has melted.

Repeat this process four times or until you run out of chicken. The quesadillas should be cut into triangles and served with dipping sauces. Sour cream, BBQ sauce, and guacamole all go with this recipe.

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Variations

One of the great things about quesadillas is their versatility. This recipe goes great with regular chicken, meaning you can skip the BBQ sauce. You might also have leftovers from BBQ night, which will save you the step of marinating the chicken.

However, if you want to spice things up, consider getting canned chilies or fresh chili peppers. Other types of cheese can also add to the quesadilla. Pretty much anything you have had in a quesadilla can go well in your creation. Mushrooms, onions, and tomatoes are all common additions to this classic Mexican dish.

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