With the arrival of the Hatch Chile Season I find myself thinking of numerous way to prepare and eat fire roasted Hatch Chiles. The irony of this is that in today’s age of perishable fruits and vegetables crossing the world by airplanes and refrigerated ships we are almost never without fruit and vegetables that were once considered a seasonal luxury. Despite this ability to enjoy an Anaheim Pepper any time of the year, the uniqueness of the Hatch Chile Pepper makes this time of year a period in which to enjoy these peppers.
Hatch Chile Quesadillas Ready to Eat
Pairing fire roasted Hatch Chile Peppers with other ingredients into a tortilla to make a quesadilla is as American as a grilled cheese sandwich. Thankfully, the effort to make a quesadilla is just as simple and can taste far better. For this light, yet flavorful quesadilla, fire roasted Hatch Chiles, seasoned precooked cocktail shrimp, sliced Avocado and shredded cheese are brought together to make a great meal or snack.
Fire Roasted Hatch Chiles Cleaned and Seeded
Ingredients:
-
Pre-Cooked Cocktail Shrimp Seasoned With Southwest Rub and Salt
Sliced Avocado
Shredded Habanero Cheddar Cheese
4 Large Flour Tortillas
- 8 – 12 Fire Roasted Hatch Chiles (roasted skin, stem top, seeds and seed membrane removed)
- 8 Ounces of Precooked Cocktail Shrimp (thawed)
- 1 Avocado Sliced Thin
- 2 Cups of Shredded Pepper Jack Cheese, approximately 3 ounce of cheese (I used Habanero Cheddar from the Watonga Cheese Factory)
- Southwest Rub
- Salt
Preparation:
In a bowl mix the precooked cocktail shrimp with about a tablespoon of Southwest Rub and a dash of salt, then heat it in the microwave for about a minute.
I prefer to build my quesadilla first and then place it them in a large skillet on Medium Heat on the stove. If the skillet is large enough, you can heat two quesadillas at a time.
On one half of the quesadilla, place two to three Hatch Chiles, then three to four thin slices of Avocado and then a evenly space a quarter of the seasoned cocktail shrimp.
Along the edges of the tortilla half that has been layered ingredients, apply enough cheese to seal to tortilla when heated. Sprinkle a little more shredded cheese on top of the layered ingredients. As difficult as it may be, try not to layer the ingredients too high. Ingredients stacked too high will make it difficult to fold over the tortilla and have the cheese properly seal the edges of the tortilla.
Fold the bare half of the tortilla over to cover the half with the layered ingredients and place on the heated skillet. With the spatula, press down the edges to seal the quesadilla as the cheese melts. After three minutes, carefully flip the quesadilla over and heat for an additional three minutes.
Building the Quesadilla
Once the quesadilla has been heated with a nice browning of the tortilla and the cheese melted, place the quesadilla on a cutting board and cut it into three wedges.
Quesadillas Cooking on the Skillet
Serve with salsa, pico de gallo and sour cream and you have a great light meal perfect for lunch or a snack.
Fresh Made Quesadillas Ready to Eat