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So I think I may have been a bit overzealous with my new “feel your fears” mentality. I was feeling all amped to step out of my comfort zone and try new things that I didn’t account for the fact that sometimes a little research can actually be beneficial. You see, these Sweet Potato and Pesto Chicken Quesadillas were actually supposed to be pulled pork enchiladas….I’ll explain.

sweet potato pesto chicken quesadillasI have an irrational fear of pork. I love the taste of pulled pork, but truth be told I didn’t try it until a few years ago. My best guess would be that growing up in a home where we didn’t eat pork or ham and only turkey bacon caused me to develop negative associations with these meats. And then I grew up and ditched my house rules and discovered that when done well, pork tastes great. So I decided to dream big and throw some pork in the slow-cooker for my first attempt at pulled pork.

sweet potato and pesto chicken quesadilla 3When I woke up the next morning to check on my loins, I was displeased to discovered they were burnt to a crisp. So I had to wing it for dinner and these came out so great that I did the fastest photo-shoot of all time (can you tell?) before running out the door to a Kewaza demo. I looked fear in the face and failed, but clearly I failed for a reason otherwise I may never have made these beauties!

Sweet Potato Pesto Chicken Quesadillas

by The Healthy Maven

Prep Time: 25 mins

Cook Time: 15 mins

Keywords: cook entree gluten-free sweet potatoes chicken

Ingredients (Serves: 3)

  • 6 gluten-free tortillas (I used Udi’s)
  • 2 chicken breasts
  • 1/2 cup pesto (I used store-bought)
  • 1 sweet potato, chopped and diced
  • 1 1/2 cups grated cheese (about 3-4 oz pre-grated)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Add diced sweet potato to a parchment or silicone-lined baking sheet and spray with coconut or olive oil.

3. Bake for 25 mins.

4. While sweet potato is baking, add chicken breasts to a large pot and fill with water until chicken is covered with 1 inch of water.

5. Bring water to a boil and once boiling, lower heat to a simmer and partially cover with lid. Let simmer for 10 mins.

6. Remove chicken from water and shred with two forks.

7. Place chicken in a large bowl and add pesto. Stir until all chicken is coated.

8. Once sweet potato is ready, take a 1/3 of it and place on one tortilla. Using the back of a fork mash sweet potato to make a thin layer.

9. Add 1/2 cup of chicken and top with 1/2 cup of grated cheese. Cover with another tortilla.

10. Repeat to make 2 other quesadillas.

11. Place 1 tortilla at a time in a large pan and cook over medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes or until cheese has begun to melt. Flip and cook for another 2 mins.

12. Repeat for two other quesadillas.

13. Serve warm or store in refrigerator for several days.

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sweet potato and pesto chicken quesadilla 4

Do you have a recent failure turned success? Any irrational food fears?

Meet the Maven

Hi! I'm Davida and welcome to my corner of the internet. I'm a wellness blogger, yoga teacher, certified herbalist, and green beauty lover.

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52 Comments

  1. So I just stumbled upon this recipe while looking (stalking?) through your posts and OMG how did I ever miss this delicious looking thing of a quesadilla? So simple and anything with pesto = best decision ever. Pinning!

    1. Even I forgot about this recipe! I’m gonna pick up tortillas and make this again! So yum. Hope you’re well hun!

  2. My last kitchen failure didn’t taste great… at all. Ahh I cringe when I remember it. That stuff ((a despearate try on healthy unrefined frosting that I’m never trying again)) was hideous :–((( But your kitchen fail looks great. Oooohh I want these!

  3. I love how you say sweet potato and pesto chicken quesadilla was supposed to be pork enchilada. How long did you put the slow cooker on for? These quesadillas look so amazing and they are proof that you are a rockstar even when you fail!

  4. Looks yummy! Did you buy a pork shoulder or Boston Butt? I know it sounds crazy, but those are the best cuts for pulled pork. 🙂