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Mini Ranch Chicken Bean and Cheese Quesadillas are a fun appetizer party food or snack that’s perfect for Cinco di Mayo!
Did you know there’s a right and a wrong way to make a quesadilla? The “proper way” is with flour tortillas; I prefer corn. The “proper way” is to fill them with a few tablespoons of cheese. I’ve got beans, cheese AND chicken in these little babies. So apparently although I don’t make quesadillas the “proper” way, I do make them the awesome way, because these Mini Ranch Chicken Bean & Cheese Quesadillas are the best thing I’ve ever tasted.
When I was a kid, we always had quesadillas the quick way – American cheese, flour tortilla, microwave. At some point in my youth my grandma or my aunt, I can’t remember who, made me a quesadilla on the stove, fried in butter, and my world was changed forever. These days, my kids actually prefer the microwave method because they are softer. But one day I made my son a corn tortilla quesadilla on the stove, fried in butter, just like grandma used to, and another child’s life was forever changed.
Ok, so that might be a little dramatic, but I could munch on these crunchy, cheesy little snacks every day of the year. I like to mix it up once in a while so when we were out of flour tortillas and I was really craving a bean and cheese burrito (total comfort food, am I right?), but all I had were corn tortillas and some of this Slow Cooker Ranch Chicken leftover, I came up with these Mini Ranch Chicken Bean and Cheese Quesadillas. I mixed the beans with the chicken, which was pretty amazing on it’s own, and added a little more Ranch seasoning. So good! I spread some of the bean and chicken mixture on the corn tortilla and folded it over. *Pro tip – be sure to microwave the corn tortillas for about a minute of so to make the pliable – they are much easier to flip when they are folded over versus two tortillas on top of one another.
As you can see I’m totally breaking the rules here – Mini tortillas (street taco size like these) are my favorite and I filled them to the brim with the bean mixture, and still added a good sized amount of cheese. What can I say…I like to do things my way! (affiliate link)
I fried them in corn oil (why not at least attempt to make it a little healthier, right?) in my cast iron skillet. The result was this crunchy golden outside and a creamy, cheesy and so flavorful filling inside.
These Mini Bean and Cheese Quesadillas are great for kids because they’re totally hand-held…which makes them great for parties too. They would also be a great meal in place of basic bean and cheese burritos, served with Mexican Rice on the side and plenty of Ranch for dipping.
Mini Ranch Chicken, Bean & Cheese Quesadillas
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups shredded chicken leftovers are fine, or 1 breast, cooked
- 1 15- ounce can refried beans
- 2 tablespoons dry Ranch seasoning mix
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 cup fresh grated sharp cheddar
- 30 Mini corn tortillas street taco size
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or butter
- Cilantro leaves for garnish
- Ranch dressing for dipping
- Limes
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine beans, chicken, milk and Ranch seasoning mix.
- Heat tortillas in the microwave for about 1-2 minutes to soften.
- Lay a single tortilla on a flat surface and spread about 1-2 tablespoons of bean mixture. Add a tablespoon of shredded cheddar. Fold in half, pressing down lightly.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add quesadillas in a single layer and cook until tortillas are golden and the cheese has melted, about 2 minutes per side.
- Serve immediately. Garnish with cilantro leaves, if desired and serve with lime slices and Ranch dressing for dipping.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of "Yellow Bliss Road" is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
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