OK you guys. I need you to hold onto your hats because THIS is THE RECIPE that will bring the house down on Super Bowl Sunday!
Introducing my BLOOMING QUESADILLA RING!
Holy cow. I don’t know if there is anything quite as impressive as THIS behemoth of an appetizer.
Cheesy, juicy, flavorful Tex-Mex chicken quesadillas surrounding a delicious bowl of salsa in a presentation that will be the main event of your party!
I made this last week for a progressive dinner supper club party — hence the lack of “finished product” photos. And let me tell you: this was the first thing to go. It was absolutely GOBBLED UP. People inhaled it. Truly. It was the only thing that people actually finished.
And I got multiple requests for the recipe at the end of the party!
And here it is!
This particular version I made was not gluten free, because it used flour tortillas. HOWEVER, you can use corn or brown rice tortillas to make this gluten free! That will slightly change the texture of the baked quesadillas themselves, but it should be just as delicious!
Here’s What You Need: (Serves 30-40 people!)
20 soft flour tortilla taco shells
3 cups cooked shredded chicken breast meat (can use a rotisserie chicken here too)
1 red or yellow bell pepper, small dice
1/2 cup sweet onion, minced
1/2 cup red onion, minced
1/2 cup salsa (choose the spiciness level based on your guests’ preference)
1 cup taco sauce
4 cup Colby Jack cheese, finely shredded
2 cups cheddar cheese, finely shredded
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped (garnish)
Tools:
Large Baking Sheet
Good Chef’s Knife
Mixing bowl
Measuring spoons
Nonstick tin foil
Oven-safe ramekin (I didn’t have this but improvised)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375. Line your largest baking sheet with nonstick tinfoil. Place a large glass in the center of the baking sheet.
*This step can be done the night before* In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked shredded chicken, bell pepper, onions, salsa and taco sauce. Mix well. Set aside or refrigerate overnight if making ahead.
**This next step is really helpful ~though not necessary~ to have a helper to make it go faster**
Cut the tortillas in half.
On one tortilla half, sprinkle 1.5 Tbsp of the shredded colby jack cheese and 1.5 Tbsp of the chicken mixture. Roll into a cone shape, being cautious not to squish out any of the filling. *(It goes a lot faster when you lay out 5 or 6 tortilla halves at once and have an assembly line of sorts: ie: cheese, cheese, cheese, chicken, chicken, chicken, roll, roll, roll etc.)
Place each rolled cone on the baking sheet in a ring, with the pointed ends touching the cup.
Once you’ve created a complete ring (which should take about 12-13 cones), sprinkle 3/4 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese on top of the ring. (This acts as “glue”).
Repeat the ring of cones for a second layer. Then sprinkle another 3/4 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese on top of the ring.
Then repeat for the third layer, and sprinkle another 3/4 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese on top.
Place any remaining cones (we had about 6) into a fourth ring, and sprinkle the top with any remaining cheddar cheese.
At this point, create a wad of tin foil that is roughly the same size as the glass.
Carefully remove the glass and replace it with the wad of tinfoil for stability when baking.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is melted and the edges of the tortillas are begin to turn golden brown.
Use the tinfoil to carefully transfer it to a serving platter.
Serve with a ramekin filled with salsa or guacamole.
Oh my gosh, this was the HIT of the party.
I mean, let’s be honest: when you walk through the door with that baby — it’s a head turner.
It’s so massive, and DELICIOUS LOOKING that people are gosh darn curious and HAVE to try it right then and there. And then when they do, they go for another and another and another!!
They say that you eat with your eyes first, and this is a feast for the eyes, let me tell ya. You’ve just simply never seen anything like it. And then pulling the quesadillas apart, it’s interactive, it’s cheesy, it’s FUN!
And delicious!
So save this for you Super Bowl party next weekend. I promise that you’ll be the hit of the party!