Description
This Blooming Chicken Quesadilla Ring is a visually stunning and delicious appetizer or party dish featuring layers of cream cheese, shredded chicken, sautéed vegetables, and melty cheeses baked crispy in a beautiful ring shape. It’s perfect for sharing and serving with classic Mexican dips like salsa, guacamole, and sour cream.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
- 2 bell peppers (red, yellow, green, orange, or a combination), sliced
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced (for garnish)
Filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature (1 brick, 250 grams)
- ¼ cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- ¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1½ tablespoons taco seasoning
- 3 cups cooked shredded chicken (rotisserie or homemade)
Tortillas and Toppings
- 12 medium flour tortillas (10″ – 12″ size), each sliced in half
- ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese (for topping)
- ¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese (for topping)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Cooking spray or additional oil for spraying tortillas
For Serving
- Salsa
- Guacamole
- Sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375℉ (190℃) and line a large baking sheet or pizza tray with parchment paper or greased foil to prevent sticking.
- Sauté Vegetables: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large frying pan or skillet over medium heat. Add sliced onion and bell peppers and sauté, stirring often, until softened and golden brown, about 5-6 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Prepare Chicken Filling: In a large bowl, combine room temperature cream cheese, sour cream, lime juice, shredded mozzarella, shredded cheddar, and taco seasoning. Mix well until uniform.
- Add Chicken and Veggies: Fold in the shredded cooked chicken along with the cooled sautéed onions and peppers gently to combine evenly.
- Slice Tortillas: Cut each of the 12 medium flour tortillas in half to create 24 semicircles.
- Fill Tortillas: Evenly distribute the chicken filling over each sliced tortilla piece, using about 1.5 to 2 tablespoons per piece, leaving a small border around edges.
- Roll Tortillas: Roll each filled tortilla half into a cone shape, ensuring they are tight enough to hold together but not so tight that filling spills out.
- Arrange Base Layer: Place a small round bowl in the center of the lined baking tray. Arrange half of the rolled cones around the bowl with the points touching it, forming a circular base.
- Add Cheese: Sprinkle half of the remaining shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheeses over the base layer of cones to add flavor and help layers stick.
- Arrange Top Layer: Place the remaining cones on top of the base layer to form a second layer, then top with the remaining shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheese. Carefully remove the central bowl.
- Prepare for Baking: Spray the edges of the tortilla cones with cooking spray or brush lightly with oil to encourage browning and crispiness.
- Bake: Bake the quesadilla ring on the middle oven rack for approximately 15-20 minutes, until cheese is melted and edges of tortillas are crispy and golden.
- Garnish: Transfer the baked quesadilla ring carefully to a serving platter. Optionally garnish with thinly sliced green onions for freshness and color.
- Serve: Place a small bowl of salsa in the center of the ring and serve alongside small bowls of sour cream and guacamole for dipping. Enjoy hot.
Notes
- Using room temperature cream cheese ensures smoother mixing.
- Shredded rotisserie chicken saves time but homemade cooked and shredded chicken works well too.
- Sautéing the peppers and onions adds a nice caramelized flavor; don’t skip this step.
- Be gentle when rolling the tortillas so the filling stays inside but the cone retains shape.
- If you prefer a spicier flavor, add extra taco seasoning or a dash of hot sauce to the filling.
- Use cooking spray on the tortillas before baking to get a perfectly crisp texture.
- Serve immediately after baking for best texture; leftovers can be reheated in the oven to restore crispiness.
