America's Test Kitchen

I have loved to cook since I moved into my first apartment when I was 18 years old. My mom and sister also love to cook, and the 3 of us often connect through recipes, cookbooks, and talking about food and cooking. A shared love of food is one of the things that brought Derek and I together when we first started dating. I remember when he first showed me his kitchen and pantry. As soon as I saw kosher salt in his cabinet, I knew we were a good match :) I make cooking dinner and eating with Derek before he goes to work and I go to bed a big priority. I often post comments on Facebook about what I'm cooking, and that is the reason for this post. I wrote last night "Chicken quesadilla pie - as good as it sounds", and two people asked for the recipe.

A solid source of recipes for my family is America's Test Kitchen. I started out reading the ATK magazine, "Cook's Illustrated" years ago. There is a cooking show on public television, an offshot publication called "Cook's Country", and lots and lots of great cookbooks. My two favorite cookbooks are "The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook", and "America's Test Kitchen: The Best Simple Recipes". The simple recipes cookbook is one I go to a lot these days, as most things are ready in ~ 30 minutes. So Rhiannon and Kara, here's the quesadilla pie recipe. Enjoy!

Chicken Quesadilla Pie

Serves 4

1 (10-inch) flour tortilla

1 rotisserie chicken, skin discarded, meat shredded into bite-sized pieces (about 3 c).

Note: You could also use cooked chicken breasts, but I picked up a chicken at Whole Foods and it was delicious & easy!

1/2 c. finely chopped fresh cilantro

1/3 c. drained jarred pickled jalapenos, chopped

2 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Salt and pepper

2 large eggs

1 c. whole milk

1 c. all-purpose flour

1 t. baking powder

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Grease 9-inch pie plate. Press tortilla into prepared pie plate and spray lightly with vegetable oil spray. Toss chicken, cilantro, jalapenos, 1 c. cheese, 1/2 t. salt, and 1/2 t. pepper in bowl until combined. Spread filling over tortilla.

2. Whisk eggs, milk, flour, baking powder, and 1/2 t. salt in bowl until smooth. Slowly pour over filling, then sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake until surface is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve with sour cream and salsa.