Mmmmmmm quesadillas! Nothing says comfort quite like toasted tortillas filled with gooey cheese, meat and veggies. So for tonight’s homecoming episode of American Idol I thought I make them extra homey with my cheese crusted quesadillas!

I stumbled across this idea online and honestly have never thought about sprinkling cheese on top of a quesadilla and dayyyyum…they turned out super tasty! The creamy avocado mixed in with the cheese, chicken and veggies turned out to be quite the delicious combo.

Check out tonight’s recipe on Yahoo! Music’s Reality Rocks blog!

Happy Eating!

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Cheese Crusted Spinach & Mushroom Quesadillas

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
• 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
• 8 oz sliced cremini mushrooms
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp chile powder
• 1 minced garlic clove
• 2 cups fresh spinach
• 1/2 cup sliced rotisserie chicken breast
• whole wheat tortillas
• 4 oz shredded monterey jack cheese
• 1 sliced avocado
• 1 diced roma tomato

Heat the oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat and sauté the onion and bell pepper until softened.

Add the mushrooms, salt, pepper, oregano, cumin and chile powder and sauté until the mushrooms have turned a deep golden brown.

Add the garlic and spinach and sauté until wilted. Remove from the heat.

Wipe the pan clean and reduce the heat to medium.

Place a few tablespoons of cheese on half of a tortilla and top with a few heaping tablespoons of the chicken mixture. Top with a tablespoon of tomato and a few avocado slices. Fold the other half over and lightly press.

Heat the quesadilla on one side for 2-3 minutes until warm. Flip over and sprinkle with the mozzarella. Flip back over to melt the cheese, forming a thin cheesy crust, and repeat on the opposite side.

Let the quesadillas slightly cool then cut with a serrated knife.

Serve with your favorite salsa!

Bon Appétit!