Quesadillas Dipped in Avocado Salsa Verde

Start by de-husking the tomatillos and giving them a good rinse. I usually cut out the stems as well. Roast the tomatillos in the oven (400F) for 20 minutes or so. Note: there's leeway on the roasting method, feel free to pan roast the tomatillos or use the broiler. Other ways to roast tomatillos.

Once the tomatillos are roasted, add them to a blender or food processor along with: 1/2 small onion, 1 peeled garlic clove, 10-12 sprigs cilantro, 1 jalapeno or serrano. Combine well. Feel free to start with just 1/2 of the jalapeno for a milder batch (or less). To increase heat, simply add additional slivers until it tastes right to you. Once you're happy with the heat, add the flesh of a single avocado and combine well. Transfer Avocado Salsa Verde to a dipping bowl.

There's leeway on the quesadillas so feel free to use what you have available. For this batch I cooked up a chicken breast. To do that, combine 1/4 teaspoon salt, freshly cracked black pepper, chile powder, Mexican oregano, olive oil, and the chopped chicken pieces in a mixing bowl. Saute a few tablespoons of chopped onion in a glug of oil over medium heat, then add the seasoned chicken pieces and cook both sides until the chicken is fully cooked through.

Prepare the rest of your quesadilla fixings. For this batch that meant chopping up some Jack cheese, about 1/2 cup worth. I also used these refried beans and these Pickled Jalapenos.

To build the quesadillas, I usually start by warming up a tortilla in a dry skillet over medium heat. Then I add ingredients to only half of the tortilla so I can fold it onto itself. Each tortilla got a thin layer of refried beans, plenty of cheese, the cooked chicken pieces, and a few Pickled Jalapenos. Cook both sides of the quesadillas in a dry skillet over medium heat until light brown spots are forming. You are welcome to cook them in a smidge of fat, but I cooked this batch dry.

Serve your warm, crispy quesadillas immediately next to a bowl of the cool, creamy Avocado Salsa Verde. Enjoy!!