Ranch Chicken Quesadillas

Memorial Day weekend. This one hits differently every year since Ruben. The cookout is still the cookout — I don't let the grief cancel the celebration, because Ruben wouldn't have wanted that, and because the men and women this weekend honors would not want their memory to be an argument against living. So I fire up the grill. So we eat too much. So the kids run through the yard and the neighbors drift over and we stay outside until dark.

I did a full spread: carne asada, chicken al pastor, elotes, refried beans, rice. The al pastor is a project — I marinate the chicken overnight in pineapple, guajillo, achiote, cumin, and a shot of orange juice. The sugars in the pineapple do something to the char on the grill that is just right. It's the closest I can get to the vertical spit rotisserie that makes proper al pastor what it is, and it's close enough for a backyard.

I wore Ruben's dog tags while I grilled. The neighbor, Pete, who I've known for four years, noticed them this year for the first time or asked about them for the first time — I'm not sure which. I told him about Ruben. He was quiet for a moment and then said, "I didn't know." Most people don't. Ruben isn't visible from the outside of my life the way he is from the inside. I keep telling myself that's okay. I'm still not sure it is.

Called Hector from the grill. Told him what I was making. He said I should come down for the Fourth of July. I said I would try. He said "don't try, just come." This is how Hector loves people: by refusing to accept maybe.

The day after the cookout, there’s always leftover chicken — and this year I couldn’t bring myself to let it just disappear into a container in the back of the fridge. I wanted to keep the weekend going a little longer, keep the smell of the grill in the house, keep the feeling of people around me even after everyone had gone home. Ranch Chicken Quesadillas are what I make when I want something fast and warm and honest — a little smoky, a little creamy, the kind of thing you eat standing at the counter or sitting with the kids at the table and nobody needs to make it a moment, it already is one.

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 30 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or chopped (grilled or rotisserie works great)
3 tablespoons ranch dressing, plus more for dipping
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup canned corn, drained
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
4 large flour tortillas (10-inch)
1 tablespoon butter or neutral oil, for the pan
Sour cream, salsa, and fresh cilantro for serving

Instructions

Mix the filling. In a medium bowl, combine the shredded chicken, ranch dressing, corn, red onion, green bell pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika. Stir until the chicken is evenly coated.
Build the quesadillas. Lay a tortilla flat. Sprinkle a light layer of Monterey Jack and cheddar over one half of the tortilla. Spoon a generous portion of the chicken mixture over the cheese. Top with another layer of both cheeses, then fold the tortilla in half to close.
Cook the first side. Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat and add about 1/4 tablespoon of butter or oil. Place the quesadilla in the pan and cook for 3—4 minutes until the bottom is golden brown and crisp.
Flip and finish. Carefully flip the quesadilla and cook the second side for another 2—3 minutes until equally golden and the cheese is fully melted. Transfer to a cutting board and repeat with remaining quesadillas, adding butter or oil as needed between each one.
Slice and serve. Cut each quesadilla into 3 wedges. Serve hot with ranch dressing, sour cream, salsa, and fresh cilantro on the side.

Nutrition (per serving)

Ranch Chicken Quesadillas — What We Make With the Leftovers, and Why That Matters