Creamy Chicken and Caramelised Onion Quesadillas.

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

I always forget about quesadillas.
Even though they are the perfect lunch for a cold day.
I first made these ones filled with chicken, caramelised onions and a spicy cream cheese spread a few months back and they were a hit with everyone. The same filling was used in both quesadillas and grilled sandwiches and we loved them both. But when I made them again two weekends ago, I was in the mood for quesadillas so that's what we went with. 
The quesadillas are great on their own but somehow I just couldn't resist making this fresh tomato salsa with them. Once marinaded with lime juice, lots of jalapenos and onion, even the not so great tomatoes at this time of year tasted amazing and so juicy.

Serve the quesadillas with the salsa or without - the choice is yours. The chicken, caramelised onions and spicy cream cheese can all be made in advance making these quesadillas the perfect meal prep option for a busy week ahead. Your future self will thank you when you make these for dinner after a busy Tuesday.
A Simple List of Ingredients:

For the Chicken:

1. Chicken Breast Strips

2. Garlic Paste

3. Worcestershire Sauce

4. Vinegar

5. Salt and Black Pepper

For the Caramelised Onions:

1. Butter

2. Vegetable Oil

3. Onions

4. Worcestershire Sauce

5. Dark Soy Sauce

6. Black Pepper

7. Brown Sugar

For the Spicy Cream Cheese Spread:

1. Cream Cheese

2. Mayonnaise

3. Pickled Jalapenos

4. Paprika

5. Onion Granules

6. Garlic Granules

7. Salt and Black Pepper

For the Quesadillas:

1. Small Flour Tortillas
2. Grated Cheddar

Bismillah, let's begin!

We start with the chicken. Take 1 Chicken Breast and cut into strips. This was 350g and you can easily double or triple the amounts as needed.

Next, the main seasonings for the chicken. Garlic paste because we love garlic but are so not in the mood to peel and bash it. Worcestershire sauce because we love its savoury flavour. And, vinegar to sharpen things up. I used malt but any will do.

To the chicken strips, add:

1 teaspoon Garlic Paste

1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce

1 tablespoon Vinegar

1/4 teaspoon Salt

1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper

Mix everything really well. Let it marinade for at least 20 minutes if not longer.

Cook the chicken in a little Vegetable Oil. Fry them first for a few minutes.

Before covering with a lid for 15 minutes on low to cook properly.

Dry any extra liquid off, if you prefer.

And, the chicken is done!

You can keep it for later or use straight away!

Next, the caramelised onions. I've been loving these lately (here they are taking centre stage in mini quiches) and couldn't resist adding them to these quesadillas. Start by melting together 1 tablespoon Butter and 1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil in a large saucepan.

Peel and thinly slice 2 Onions. I used white but red would be just as good.

Throw in the sliced onions.

And also, add in:

1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce

1 tablespoon Dark Soy Sauce

Black Pepper, to taste

1 heaped teaspoon Brown Sugar

Mix everything up over a medium heat.

Before covering with a lid and letting the onions cook over a low heat for 30-40 minutes.

Then, uncover. Continue letting the onions cook, stirring every now and then, until they're soft and jammy. For me, this took another 20-30 minutes on low heat. You can speed things up if you turn the heat up but be careful they don't stick.

Caramelised onions done! Again, they're perfect to make in advance or use straight away.

Finally, let's stir up a spicy creamy cheese spread. Into a bowl, place 200g Cream Cheese (room temperature is easier to stir) and 2 tablespoons Mayonnaise.

Then to spice things up, pickled jalapenos.

You can add as many as you like. I went with 6 Pickled Jalapenos, finely chopped. Plus I also added in a few drops of the Pickled Jalapeno Liquid. This gives more flavour plus helps to loosen our spread.

For more flavour, add in:

1/2 teaspoon Paprika

1/2 teaspoon Onion Granules

1/2 teaspoon Garlic Granules

Salt and Black Pepper, to taste

Mix everything up and taste to see if the seasoning is right. Again, this is perfect to make in advance or use straight away.

Let's make the quesadillas. I made mine with 8 small Flour Tortillas. Plus I grated up some Cheddar, to taste.

To assemble, take a small flour tortilla. You could also use bread slices and make grilled sandwiches or ready-made parathas like I did in this recipe!

Spread on as much of the spicy cream cheese as you want.

Onto one side, place some of the caramelised onions.

A little chicken.

And, a sprinkling of Cheddar.

Fold over and continue assembling the rest.

Toast the quesadillas however you wish. I used my tawa but a dry frying pan or even a panini press would be great. All we want is the quesadilla to be crispy on the outside and hot on the inside.

Now all that's left to do is slice them up!

So good with this fresh tomato salsa! 

Creamy Chicken and Caramelised Onion Quesadillas.

Prep Time: About 1 hour.

Cook Time: About 10 minutes.

Serves: Makes 8 small quesadillas.

Ingredients

For the Chicken

1 Chicken Breast, cut into strips (350g)

1 teaspoon Garlic Paste

1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce

1 tablespoon Vinegar

1/4 teaspoon Salt

1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper

Vegetable Oil, to cook

For the Caramelised Onions

1 tablespoon Butter

1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil

2 Onions, peeled and thinly sliced

1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce

1 tablespoon Dark Soy Sauce

Black Pepper, to taste

1 heaped teaspoon Brown Sugar

For the Spicy Cream Cheese Spread

200g Cream Cheese, room temperature is best

2 tablespoons Mayonnaise 

6 Pickled Jalapenos, finely chopped
Few drops of the Pickled Jalapenos Liquid
1/2 teaspoon Paprika
1/2 teaspoon Onion Granules
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Granules
Salt and Black Pepper, to taste

For the Quesadillas
Grated Cheddar, to taste
8 small Flour Tortillas

To Serve
Fresh Tomato Salsa

Cook the chicken:
In a bowl, mix together the chicken strips, garlic paste, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, salt and black pepper. Let it marinade for 15 minutes before cooking in a pan with a little vegetable oil. I like to cover it for 15 minutes before uncovering and drying off any extra liquid. Set aside until needed.

Caramelise the onions:
Heat the butter and vegetable oil in a pan. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir well. Cover with a lid and cook on low heat for 30 minutes. Uncover and cook on a low-medium heat until the onions are soft and jammy. Set aside until needed.

Mix up the cream cheese spread:
Mix together all the ingredients in a small bowl. Taste and adjust the seasoning and spices, as needed.

Assemble the quesadillas:
Spread each tortilla with the cream cheese spread. Onto one side, place some caramelised onions, chicken and grated Cheddar. Fold over and continue making the rest.

Cook the quesadillas:
Toast the quesadillas on a hot dry frying pan or tawa until the top is golden and the cheese has melted. You may use butter or oil, if you prefer.

Serve:
Slice the quesadillas in half and serve with the fresh tomato salsa.

Keep me in your duas please, and enjoy your quesadillas!

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!