CHICKEN QUESADILLAS WITH HOMEMADE FLOUR TORTILLAS

Chicken Quesadillas with Homemade Flour Tortillas image

This recipe combines leftover rotisserie chicken or roast chicken with quick-and-easy five-ingredient flour tortillas for a homemade take on a classic. Plus, it's easily tailored to what you have on hand (or prefer). The fresh taste and aroma of just-made tortillas may make you swear off store-bought ones forever!

Provided by Elena Besser

Time 1h10m

Yield 6 quesadillas

Number Of Ingredients 14

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons lard or vegetable shortening
3/4 cup hot water
1 cup shredded cheese (Oaxacan, Cheddar, mozzarella or any other good-melting cheese)
1 cup pulled rotisserie chicken or preferred protein (such as refried beans or seasoned ground beef)
Lime wedges, for serving
Cilantro leaves, for serving
Sour cream, for serving, optional
Hot sauce, for serving, optional
Pickled jalapeños, for serving, optional
Guacamole, for serving, optional
Salsa, for serving, optional

Steps:

Whisk the flour, salt and baking powder together in a large bowl. Mix in the lard with your hands or a fork until the mixture resembles wet sand. Slowly mix in the hot water, mixing the dough by hand or with a fork until it comes together in a ball; you may have a little water leftover.
Knead the dough by hand on a clean counter until smooth, 6 to 8 minutes. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes before portioning it into 12 equal balls. (At this point the dough can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to a day before use.)
Roll out each ball of dough on a floured surface until about 1/8-inch thick. Heat a medium cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the tortillas one at a time in the skillet until they blister and puff, about 1 minute per side. Remove from the skillet and stack on a plate; cover with a kitchen towel as you work to keep the tortillas warm.
For the quesadillas: Place one tortilla in a medium nonstick skillet and cover with shredded cheese and chicken. Cook over medium-low heat until the cheese begins to melt, 3 to 5 minutes. (If you like, heat 2 separate skillets so you can cook 2 quesadillas at once.)
Place another tortilla on top of the first and flip. Cook until the underside is golden brown and the cheese is completely melted, 3 to 5 minutes longer. Transfer to a cutting board. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
Cut the quesadillas into triangles and serve with lime wedges, cilantro and toppings of choice: Sour cream, hot sauce, pickled jalapeños, guacamole and/or salsa.