What is a Quesadilla?
We love Mexican food in our house, and one of my little guy’s favorites is quesadillas. In fact, when he was smaller he would order the same cheesy quesadilla every time we went to our favorite Mexican place. Since then he has branched out a lot on his food choices.
He now orders a half order of fajitas or carnitas, with a side salad. However, the humble quesadilla still holds a place as one of his favorites so I like to make them at home for him often.
Quesadilla literally means “small cheesy pastry” when translated, well according to our favorite waiter. Which is pretty spot on, right? The pastry comes in the form of flour or corn tortilla and it is filled with lots of melty cheese, yum! Of course, there are other varieties and options that you can order or make at home.
We love to fill them with anything from chicken to shrimp, and lots of veggies and spices. It is a great way to get the little kiddos to eat protein and veggies, even the pickiest of eaters can’t resist something covered in cheese and fried to a golden brown.
These Chicken and Black Quesadillas is the second recipe in my THM Kids series. This is a fun new series we’re working on with the assistance of my son, Nate.
He’s been helping me work on recipes that we can make healthier for kids like himself. I love cooking with him in the kitchen! Be sure to check out our first recipe Taco Mac and Cheese!
Making Your Quesadillas
For This Recipe You’ll Need:
2 pounds of shredded chicken breast
3 cups of shredded cheese
1 can of black beans
Taco Seasonings of choice
Butter or Cooking Spray
Be sure to check out all the possibilities for fillings in a later section of this recipe post. But don’t let these limit your options!
How to Cook These Healthy Quesadillas
Choosing Fillings for your Quesadillas
Now that we’ve gone through the basics of these Chicken and Black Bean Quesadillas, I thought I’d offer some filling options just in case black beans are not something your family enjoys. After all, this is a “THM Kids” options and I know not all kids will be fond of black bean.
Since our focus with these recipes is to find foods that our kids enjoy with a healthier spin it is important to start slowly with adding things into their diets if they are picky.
So here are a few options my son and I think would work well when added to quesadillas for kids! Feel free to mix and match to find some healthy options.
- spinach
- corn
- brown rice
- bell peppers
- onions
- mushrooms
- chopped broccoli
- olives, green or black
- tomatoes
- pinto beans
- kidney beans
- pineapple
- ham
- shrimp
- ground beef
- turkey
Quesadilla Options for Adults
I love quesadillas as much as my son, but I try to take in fewer carbs than I feed him, so in order to keep these lower in carb and higher in healthy fats I change up my filling a little bit. If you follow the THM diet then for an S setting you can enjoy these yummy quesadillas too.
Simply begin with a low carb wrap or tortilla of choice, even the THM Wonder Wraps work nicely, but I don’t advise using corn tortillas for the low carb option. Next, choose your favorite fillings and enjoy. I love adding things like jalapeno peppers and chorizo to mine! These are very filling so one quesadilla and a yummy salad make a great meal.
Even a small amount of black beans can be used in your THM “S” meals (1/4 cup per THM guidelines), but I recommend only a couple of tablespoons versus the whole 1/4 cup because you will also have the carbs from the tortilla so be careful not to overload your meal with too many carbs.
Freezer Instructions for the Quesadillas
Chicken and Black Bean Quesadillas || THM Kids
A low carb tortilla filled with shredded chicken, black beans, and lots of melty cheese. An easy meal and great for a freezer meal option for grab and heat lunches.
Ingredients
- 8 low carb tortillas
- 3 cups of shredded cheese
- 2 lbs of cooked chicken, shredded
- 1 (15 oz) can of black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- butter or cooking spray
Instructions
- Add all the seasoning to the shredded chicken and mix well before placing the chicken and other fillings near the stove for quick assembly.
- Place a large skillet over medium heat and spray with cooking spray or add a little butter to the skillet for extra flavor. The butter will also browns nicer than the spray.
- Next add one tortilla to the skillet and sprinkle cheese over half of it before topping it with a good amount of the chicken, a couple tablespoons of black beans, then more cheese.
- Fold the other half of the tortilla over the filling and cook the quesadillas for 2-3 minutes on each side until the cheese is melted and the outside is nicely golden brown.
- Sever hot. For freezer instruction please see the steps listed in the blog post above right above this recipe card.
I am a southern girl through and through that loves to laugh, cook, read and spend time with family. My passions outside of home schooling my son are ministering to those in need and creating art in the kitchen! Every day is an adventure in our little house and I wouldn’t trade it or the chance to share here with you for anything!
What’s a quick, easy way to cool the chicken for shredding?
I usually cook mine in my instant pot. I use chicken stock instead of water to cover it and add some salt, garlic powder, and onions. Then I cook it per my Instant Pot’s instructions and it shreds so easy. If you don’t have a pressure cooker you can totally boil it on the stove-top.
Thank you for sharing this. I now know what I’m going to cook for dinner tonight.
These look and sound amazing. Love that you shared different ideas for stuffing your quesidilla. Cannot wait to try these.
Oh YUMMY!! I have a weakness for all things quesadillas. I throw everything inside a quesadilla and am always looking for new flavor combos. So thanks for a fresh new idea!
OMG Keri these look so good you have inspired me to make some of these! Yummy for sure!