To quote Gwen Stefani, this week has been “bananas! B-A-N-A-N-A-S!” What better way to pass the seemingly endless time than by cooking! The Quarantine Quesadilla is a fast, approachable recipe that is sure to provide much-needed comfort with carbs and cheese. Who could ask for anything more than that?! 

Ingredients

½ tomato, diced 

¼ red onion, finely diced 

1 clove garlic, finely diced 

2 teaspoons fresh cilantro, chopped, unless it tastes like soap to you then don’t use it

½  lime to take your frustrations out on 

½ tablespoon butter

2 tortillas 

1 chicken breast, grilled or roasted or whatever as long as it’s cooked 

¼ cup fontina cheese, grated 

¼ cup gruyere cheese, grated 

¼ cup mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced or grated 

 ¼ cup caramelized onions

1 tablespoon scallions, sliced thinly for garnish 

Preparation

1. Combine tomato, onion, garlic, and cilantro. Add the juice of half of a lime and mix. Channel your pandemic rage and get every last drop of juice out of that lime. Season with salt and pepper. Boom! You just made homemade salsa… congrats!
2. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. You can do medium-high heat but I guarantee you that tortilla will end up burnt. While that’s going, chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Once the butter is melted and sizzling, add one of the tortillas. Top the tortilla with half of the fontina, gruyere, and mozzarella. Add the chopped chicken and caramelized onions. Splatter a few spoonfuls of salsa onto the tortilla. With whatever salsa is left, open up a bag of Tostitos and enjoy chips and homemade salsa because you deserve it. Top with the remaining fontina, gruyere, and mozzarella. 
3. Place the remaining tortilla on top of the whole shebang. By now, the bottom tortilla should be browned and crispy. If it’s not crispy enough, let it cook longer. If it’s burnt, you didn’t listen and your pan is too hot. Using a large spatula, flip the quesadilla over. You can use your fingers, but they’ll end up crispier than the tortilla.  
4. Once the bottom tortilla is browned and crispy, transfer to a plate to prepare for human consumption. Cut the quesadilla into as many pieces as you want and top with a little salt, pepper, and scallions to make it look pretty. Your Quarantine Quesadilla is perfect for making your friend on FaceTime really jealous and hungry or for watching the news in a dark room, away from civilization. 

Stay safe, socially distance, eat lots of quesadillas, and watch your stress drift away!