Blooming Quesadilla with Guacamole Sauce
This recipe elevates the classic quesadilla into a fun, crowd-pleasing masterpiece that will have everyone coming back for seconds and thirds. Convenient handheld pockets of melted cheese and seasoned chicken, all beautifully fanned out and ready for dipping. Enjoy alongside Ole Cocktail Co Margarita Mocktail or Cabron Cantarito.Ingredients
Serves 10
3 cups (750 ml) shredded roasted chicken (from 1 rotisserie chicken)
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 green onions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
1 jalapeño pepper, finely chopped
1 cup (250 ml) store-bought taco sauce or salsa of choice
16 to 18 (6-in/15 cm) flour tortillas
3 cups (750 ml) shredded Monterey Jack
3 cups (750 ml) shredded sharp cheddar
Guacamole Sauce, to serve, recipe follows
fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish
GUACAMOLE SAUCE
2 large avocados, pitted and peeled
½ cup (125 ml) fresh cilantro leaves
¼ cup (60 ml) Jose Cuervo Especial Silver Tequila
2 tbsp (30 ml) fresh lime juice, plus more to taste
¼ tsp (1 ml) ground cumin
1 tsp (5 ml) kosher salt, plus more to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Place a 4-in (10 cm) ramekin in centre of prepared baking sheet and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Place a 4-in (10 cm) ramekin in centre of prepared baking sheet and set aside.
- In a large bowl, stir shredded chicken, diced bell peppers, green onions, chopped jalapeños and taco sauce until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
- Cut each tortilla in half. Add about 2 tbsp (30 ml) each Monterey Jack, cheddar and chicken mixture to each tortilla half, spreading almost to edges. Roll tortillas into cones, starting from cut edge and making sure not to push ingredients out of tortilla.
- With about 13 tortilla cones, create a ring around ramekin on prepared baking sheet, placing cones seam-side down and with points of cones facing centre, touching ramekin. Sprinkle some Monterey Jack and cheddar over this layer. Repeat with remaining cones to make 2 more layers, finishing with rest of Monterey Jack and cheddar. Remove ramekin from centre of ring.
- Bake until cheese is melted and edges of tortillas are crispy, 15 to 20 minutes. You can make Guacamole Sauce while blooming quesadilla bakes.
- For Guacamole Sauce, in pitcher of a blender, combine avocados, cilantro, tequila, lime juice, cumin and salt. Blend until smooth, scraping down sides of pitcher as needed. Season with more salt and lime juice, if desired. Transfer to a serving bowl.
- Carefully transfer blooming quesadilla to a serving platter. Add Guacamole Sauce to ramekin used to shape blooming quesadilla before baking. Place in centre of quesadilla ring before garnishing quesadillas with cilantro and sliced green onions. Best served while still warm.