Chicken Quesadillas and Corn Relish – Game Day Meal

by Tracey · Published January 15, 2016 · Updated February 9, 2019

Looking for a quick and easy idea to add a little spice to a game day meal? Look no further than Chicken Quesadillas and Corn Relish. Not only is this easy, but most of it can be made in advance so all you have to do is pull it out on game day and in minutes you have a great meal.

Make ahead – Chicken, Pico de Gallo and Corn Relish

There is so many different ways you can cook your chicken for chicken quesadillas. It is a great way to use leftovers too or just pick up a roasted chicken at the store or even grab some frozen pre-cooked chicken strips out of the fridge.

I like to use my Pampered Chef Stoneware Deep Covered Baker whenever I’m baking chicken. It leaves the chicken so moist and delicious. The Deep Covered Baker can be found in use at our house several times a week.

Since I was just cooking for Don and myself, I dropped two chicken breast into the Baker. I then added a little water and a little balsamic vinegar. I topped each piece with a spice mixture that included Garlic Salt, Ground Cumin, Ground Cayenne Red Pepper and Dried Cilantro Leaves. Let the chicken bake at 400 – 425 for about 50 minutes.

But like I said, you can prepare your chicken however you prefer and even use leftovers. The amount of chicken you use depends on how many people you are preparing for.

While my chicken is cooking, IF I don’t already have some in the fridge – I prepare my Pico de Gallo (affectionately just called “Pico”) . Pico is a staple in my fridge. We eat it with just about everything and sometimes we just get out bowl and eat it with a spoon.

For the Pico de Gallo you will need: Onions, Bell Peppers, Roma Tomatoes, Cilantro and Jalapeno Pepper (or milder peppers if you prefer – or no Jalapeno at all). Mustard Seed, Lime Juice, Salt and Pepper.

Just start chopping. You will want to chop everything but the lime.

The amount of vegetables you put in your Pico is up to you. If you aren’t a big fan of onions, put more peppers or tomatoes in. If you don’t like Cilantro (can you believe there are people who don’t like Cilantro – it’s okay if you don’t), don’t add it. Just chop up what you want and the amount you want. Since I was planning to make some Watermelon Salsa in a couple of days, I only made this small bowl of Pico. We normally use this big bowl. Like I said, we eat Pico on just about everything.

After you are through chopping all your vegetables, mix well and then squeeze lime juice over the mixture. Add a little salt and pepper (if desired) and throw in some mustard seeds. Mix well again and ENJOY! Pico will last several days (covered) in the fridge. It will last even longer if stored in Mason jars.

If you are wanting to serve a side dish with your quesadillas, try a Corn Relish. Again, this can be made in advance. You’ll need a can of whole kernel corn or frozen corn kernals, green bell pepper, red bell pepper and purple onion.

Drain and then drain again the corn and place in a bowl. Just like the Pico start chopping the vegetables. Mix well and add some season salt and pepper. Done.

When your chicken is ready you will need to slice it/pull it to begin the assembly of your quesadillas.

To assemble your quesadillas you will need flour or wheat tortillas. you can use small ones or large ones. You will also need your Pico and shredded cheese.

I use my Pampered Chef Grill Pan to make my quesadillas but you can use a skillet just as well. I heat my pan first and then remove it from the stovetop and assemble each quesadilla.

Remember your grill/pan is hot! Start with shredded cheese on the bottom tortilla layer.

Now add your chicken and then your Pico. Add another layer of shredded cheese.

Top it off with your other tortilla.

And take it back to the stove top. I use Pampered Chef’s Grill Press to make sure my quesadillas stay flat but you can use a spatula to apply pressure to the top. If you don’t keep pressure on the top tortilla it will bubble up and not stick together very well.

Let cook for about 5-8 minutes on each side. TIP: Only flip once. You can use your spatula to peek to see how the bottom tortilla is grilling but only flip once.

When both sides are crisp, slide your tortilla on a cutting board and cut with a pizza cutter.

We added some baked corn tortillas, Pace Peach Salsa (OMG this stuff is like eating candy) and a dollop of sour cream to our plate and enjoyed a great meal.

Some of my friends have some great game day ideas. We’ve gathered together to bring you snacks, meals and game ideas to prepare for your next Game Day Party. Take a few minutes to see what else we have created for you.