Quesadilla Casserole

This is the last of my new recipe updates! Hooray!!! That means I'm caught up, since this was our dinner for last night.

I had to adapt the quantities of this recipe and add a couple things to accommodate my larger family, but I am happy to report that this meal turned out great! We loved it, and once again, it was a crowd-pleaser. Before I was a mom, I never would have cared if my dinners were suitable for kids. Obviously, I didn't have kids, so it never occured to me that was something that people had to consider at mealtimes. Now days, I pretty much base my recipe selection on that factor alone. One of first questions I ask myself about a potential dinner idea is this: "are the kids gonna like this one?" (Also, I ask myself: "Is it healthy, tasty, and is the husband gonna like it?" I must admit, the kid question does come first though.)

I am happy to report this was kid-approved; and the adults loved it, too!

Quesadilla Casserole
Adapted From: Clean Eating Magazine website

Ingredients:
cooking spray or olive oil
3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 whole-wheat tortillas, cut into 1/2-inch strips
2 cups frozen corn, thawed
1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed well
1 15-oz can of pinto beans, drained and rinsed well
1/2 cup low-sodium, all-natural barbecue sauce (no more than 7 to 10 g carbs and 1 g fat per 2-tbsp serving)
1 cup shredded low-fat cheese (I used part-skim mozzarella), divided

Directions:
Preheat oven to broiler.

Coat chicken with cooking spray (or a small quantity of olive oil) and garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Broil until cooked through, about 7-10 minutes depending on the thickness of your chicken breasts. You may need to flip them once during the cooking process, halfway through. Once chicken is cooked, removed from oven to cool (enough to handle) and set aside. Reset oven to 425 degrees.

Meanwhile, place tortilla strips on a large baking sheet. Coat with cooking spray, toss and spread in a single layer. Bake for 10-15 minutes at 425 degrees, until crispy, tossing halfway through; set aside to cool.

Go back to the chicken, and cut into a large dice or cube. Remove to a large rectangular casserole dish; including any juices from the cutting board.

Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.

In the same casserole dish, combine chicken, corn, beans and barbecue sauce. Spread mixture in an even layer. Transfer dish to oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, top with 1/2 cup of cheese, tortilla strips and then the other 1/2 cup of cheese. Bake for 5 to 10 more minutes until brown and bubbly and cheese is melted. Serve immediately.