Weeknights are a little crazy. Chicken Bacon Ranch Quesadillas are quick and easy, giving you more time to spend with your loved ones. This post is sponsored by Toufayan Bakeries, but, as always, all opinions remain my own.
I used to think toddlers were difficult. Most days, I couldn’t manage to get out of the house, unable to wrangle both baby and toddler and get them on a schedule that coincided. If we did get it together to embark anywhere (like preschool for my daughter), it was a massive feat; an escape from the house for no more than a couple of hours before returning to try to get all the feeding, cleaning, sleeping, etc. done. If I judged wrong, they’d fall asleep in the car, and I’d be stuck in the driveway until they woke up, reading or typing away on my laptop and feeling like a fool. Those days felt endless. I had no idea that once the kids got older, it would actually become harder, not easier.
I love, love, love my job! I do! I love the people there, I love what I do, and I love that it gets me out of the house in a structured environment for at least part of my week. I need that. But it’s also 40 minutes from home, and with my daughter’s saxophone practice and aerials classes, my son’s karate lessons, and my husbands crazy schedule of working at a ski area 4 months of the year, and mountain biking all spring, summer, and fall, it feels almost impossible some days. I agree: I really don’t know how I do it. And lately, it feels like I’m doing it even less than I was. It’s so incredibly frustrating when you can’t control the constraints on your life. As a result, I’ve been simplifying as much as possible–there’s no time for elaborate affairs. Including for dinner.
Most weeknights, we resort to quesadillas of some sort. They’re quick. They’re easy. And they’re infinitely adjustable. Which is great because I also haven’t been all that competent at making regular trips to the grocery store lately, either. As long as you have some sort of cheese–whether it’s Cheddar, American, even cream cheese–you can make a quesadilla. It was the first food my then 7-year-old son learned to cook himself (yes, he cooks!), and it has become the vehicle for getting my husband into the kitchen, finally! We all love quesadillas.
When Toufayan asked me to develop a recipe this month utilizing one of their products, quesadillas came to mind immediately. I thought about the flavors loved most in our house and couldn’t resist a Chicken Bacon Ranch combination. It’s a little more involved than what I usually put together, but you can cook the chicken when the bacon is rendering in the oven; overlapping steps save you time. AND if you’re feeling really ambitious, fry up a whole package of bacon and cook extra chicken to keep on hand in the refrigerator. Nothing like having only 5 minutes between you and dinner on a long, tiring day, right?! I used Toufayan Classic Plain Wraps here, but you can substitute any flavor you prefer–even one of their fantastic Gluten-Free options!
What are you having for dinner tonight?
Chicken Bacon Ranch Quesadillas
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon
- 1 pound chicken breast tenders
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 3 Tablespoons Greek seasoning blend
- 4 Toufayan Classic Plain Wraps or Gluten Free Wraps
- 1/4 cup Ranch dressing
- 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
- 8-12 sun-dried tomato halves sliced
Instructions
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and lay out the bacon on it, ensuring the pieces don't overlap. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes, or until crisped. Remove to paper towel-lined plate and break into pieces once cooled. Set aside.
- While the bacon is cooking, coat the chicken tenders in Greek seasoning blend. Heat the olive oil in a large cast iron skillet and then add the chicken. Cook until no longer pink in the middle and juices run clear, about 5-7 minutes on each side.
- Cut the chicken in chunks and set aside.
- Lay out the wraps and spread 1 Tablespoon of Ranch dressing on each.
- Sprinkle 2 Tablespoons shredded cheese over half of each of the wraps.
- Divide the chicken evenly, spreading over half of each of the wraps.
- Sprinkle the sun-dried tomatoes, bacon, and additional 2 Tablespoons shredded cheese over half of each of the wraps, then fold them in half.
- Preheat a cast iron skillet to medium and cook the quesadillas one at a time, 3-4 minutes per side, until lightly browned and the cheese has melted.
- Remove to plates, cut in half, and serve.