The Art of Creating a Chicken Jalapeno Popper Quesadilla

The creation of this dish begins with a cheese mixture, consisting of Monterey Jack and cream cheese, which is then seasoned with a little cayenne and cumin to add some extra flavor. The chef smushes all the ingredients together, creating a creamy and savory paste that will serve as the foundation for the quesadilla.

The next step involves preparing some bacon, which has already been fried in a pan. Some of the grease is taken out, but enough is left to use later on. The chef adds some butter to the skillet, not because it's necessary, but because why not? This is a key principle in cooking for the chef: "why not." It allows them to experiment and try new things without worrying about the consequences.

The cheese mixture is then spread onto a large tortilla, covering most of its surface. The edges are left uncovered, creating a border around the filling. Sprinkles of spices can be added on top of the cheese, in whatever order desired. In this case, the chef spreads the cream cheese evenly across the tortilla before adding the cheese and spices.

Next, shredded chicken is sprinkled over the cheese mixture, followed by fresh jalapenos that have been cut into quarters and had their seeds and membranes scraped out. This ensures that the heat level of the dish remains manageable, without overpowering the other flavors.

The tortilla with the filling is then placed in a hot skillet, where it's cooked until golden brown on both sides. Once cooked, crumbled cooked bacon is added to the quesadilla, giving it a smoky and savory flavor that complements the cheese and chicken perfectly.

This dish can be described as a deconstructed jalapeno popper, with all its components combined into one delicious package. The chef has taken their inspiration from traditional poppers and adapted it into a unique and tasty quesadilla. As they say, "I figure out these things as I go along," which is evident in the creative combination of flavors and textures that result in this mouthwatering dish.

The final step involves cutting the quesadilla into wedges or slices, depending on preference. A sprinkle of cilantro adds a fresh and herbaceous flavor, while sour cream can be served on top to help cool down the heat from the jalapenos. The chef's love for celebrating the beauty of quesadillas is evident in their enthusiasm for this dish, which they describe as "just throw it like kimchi." With its combination of spicy, savory, and fresh flavors, this chicken jalapeno popper quesadilla is sure to delight anyone who tries it.

The creation of this dish is a true reflection of the chef's personality: creative, experimental, and always up for trying new things. The addition of butter to the skillet may seem like an unnecessary step, but it shows that even in the simplest recipes, there is room for innovation and playfulness. As the chef says, "why not," which has become a guiding principle in their cooking style.

As the quesadilla cooks in the skillet, the aroma fills the air, enticing anyone who smells it to come and try some. When the time comes to serve, the dish is presented with a flourish, garnished with cilantro and a sprinkle of spices. The chef's love for this recipe is evident in every detail, from the preparation of the filling to the presentation of the finished dish.

The chicken jalapeno popper quesadilla is more than just a meal; it's an experience. It's a celebration of flavors and textures that come together in perfect harmony. With its unique combination of spicy, savory, and fresh flavors, this dish is sure to delight anyone who tries it. As the chef says, "I love it when a plan comes together," which is exactly what happens when you take a traditional popper and turn it into a delicious quesadilla.

In the end, the chicken jalapeno popper quesadilla is a true reflection of the chef's creativity and passion for cooking. It's a dish that shows that even the simplest recipes can be elevated to new heights with a little bit of experimentation and playfulness. So, if you're feeling adventurous, give this recipe a try and see what happens when you combine the flavors of a jalapeno popper into a quesadilla. You might just find yourself falling in love with this delicious dish, just like the chef did.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enchicken jalapeno popper quesadilla okay so i've got a cheese mixture with monterey jack and cream cheese and i'm adding a little bit of cayenne and a little bit of cumin just to jazz things up a bit and then i'll just smush all this together all right awesome now i already fried some bacon and i took it out of the pan i took out some of the bacon grease but left some in there and i'm gonna add some butter because why not that's my motto why not when it comes to whether you should add butter so i'm gonna get the skillet hot and get that butter sizzling and then i'm going to put this cream mixture on a really big tortilla so plop you could also spread the tortilla with the cream cheese sprinkle the cheese on top and then sprinkle that with spices if you want to whatever order you want to do it in is just fine so i'm spreading this around just so it reaches kind of the edges of the tortilla so over the cheese mixture i'm going to sprinkle some shredded chicken and then i've got some fresh jalapenos now i cut these into quarters scraped out the seeds and membranes otherwise this quesadilla would be mighty powerful i don't want to blow anybody out of the lodge today okay so that butter is nice and sizzly so i'm gonna take this over and put it straight into the pan delicious and then i've got this cooked bacon and i'm just gonna crumble it into the quesadilla so this is basically just sort of a deconstructed jalapeno popper in quesadilla form is what i'm calling it i figure out these things as i go along okay and then the second tortilla goes right on top and now i've just gotta babysit this until it's golden brown on the first side and then i'll flip it and cook it on side too all right look in the skillet alex you can't see what's in the quesadilla but you can see the tortilla and it is looking mighty fine okay i need another spatula for this this is a two spatula job okay i do not want this thing to fall apart you ready i love it when a plan comes together all right so i'm gonna cut the quesadilla and then cilantro is all you need you can serve this with sour cream if you want to it kind of cools down the heat a little bit i just like to sprinkle cilantro all over the place just throw it like kimchi i like to celebrate the beauty of quesadillas youchicken jalapeno popper quesadilla okay so i've got a cheese mixture with monterey jack and cream cheese and i'm adding a little bit of cayenne and a little bit of cumin just to jazz things up a bit and then i'll just smush all this together all right awesome now i already fried some bacon and i took it out of the pan i took out some of the bacon grease but left some in there and i'm gonna add some butter because why not that's my motto why not when it comes to whether you should add butter so i'm gonna get the skillet hot and get that butter sizzling and then i'm going to put this cream mixture on a really big tortilla so plop you could also spread the tortilla with the cream cheese sprinkle the cheese on top and then sprinkle that with spices if you want to whatever order you want to do it in is just fine so i'm spreading this around just so it reaches kind of the edges of the tortilla so over the cheese mixture i'm going to sprinkle some shredded chicken and then i've got some fresh jalapenos now i cut these into quarters scraped out the seeds and membranes otherwise this quesadilla would be mighty powerful i don't want to blow anybody out of the lodge today okay so that butter is nice and sizzly so i'm gonna take this over and put it straight into the pan delicious and then i've got this cooked bacon and i'm just gonna crumble it into the quesadilla so this is basically just sort of a deconstructed jalapeno popper in quesadilla form is what i'm calling it i figure out these things as i go along okay and then the second tortilla goes right on top and now i've just gotta babysit this until it's golden brown on the first side and then i'll flip it and cook it on side too all right look in the skillet alex you can't see what's in the quesadilla but you can see the tortilla and it is looking mighty fine okay i need another spatula for this this is a two spatula job okay i do not want this thing to fall apart you ready i love it when a plan comes together all right so i'm gonna cut the quesadilla and then cilantro is all you need you can serve this with sour cream if you want to it kind of cools down the heat a little bit i just like to sprinkle cilantro all over the place just throw it like kimchi i like to celebrate the beauty of quesadillas you\n"