(Family Features) Dinner in many households means foolproof recipes that families can count on, but those can become bland and boring. Finding new ways to put a twist on meals throughout the week adds fun to time spent in the kitchen while bringing new flavor to the table.
To help reinvigorate traditional weeknight dinners, chef Bobby Flay and Hidden Valley Ranch created the three-part Hidden Valley Ranch Night! series to debut dishes that bring bold flavor to traditional meals, such as these recipes for Ranch Crusted Burgers with Avocado Ranch Sauce and Ranch Seasoned Chicken and Mushroom Quesadillas with Tomato Salsa and Sour Cream. The series will provide a spin on weeknight staples to showcase the simplicity, versatility and zesty flavor of ranch seasoning when used to create family-friendly dinners any night of the week.
Find more information, including series episodes and additional recipes, at hiddenvalley.com/ranch-night.
Ranch Seasoned Chicken and Mushroom Quesadillas with Tomato Salsa and Sour Cream
Servings: 4
Tomato Salsa:
4 plum tomatoes, seeded and finely diced
1/2 small red onion, finely diced
1/2 jalapeno, finely diced
1 lime, juice only
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh basil, finely chopped into ribbons
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
Quesadillas:
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 1/2 pounds cremini or button mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning, divided
12 flour tortillas (6 inches)
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
16 ounces roasted or rotisserie chicken, shredded
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
canola oil
1/2 cup sour cream
tomato salsa
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
To make tomato salsa: In medium bowl, combine tomatoes, red onion, jalapeno, lime juice, olive oil and basil; season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.
To make quesadillas: Preheat oven to 450 F.
In large saute pan over medium-high heat, heat oil. Add mushrooms and season with 1 1/2 teaspoons ranch seasoning. Cook until mushrooms are golden brown and liquid has evaporated. Set aside to cool.
Place tortillas next to each other on baking sheet. Sprinkle thin layer of cheese on eight tortillas. Add cooled mushrooms to four tortillas and shredded chicken to other four tortillas. Season each layer with salt and pepper. Stack tortillas to create four, two-layer quesadillas. Cover each with remaining tortillas; brush top tortillas lightly with canola oil and sprinkle with remaining ranch seasoning.
Bake 6-8 minutes until cheese is melted and tortillas turn lightly golden brown with crispy edges.
Cut each quesadilla into four pieces. Garnish each slice with dollop of sour cream. Add dollop of tomato salsa on top of sour cream and garnish with basil.
