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High Protein Chicken Quesadilla Bake - Easy, Cheesy, and Meal-Prep Friendly

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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • Cooked chicken (3 cups shredded or chopped) – rotisserie works great
  • Large flour tortillas (6–8, fajita or burrito size)
  • Shredded cheese (2–2.5 cups total) – a blend like Monterey Jack, cheddar, or Mexican cheese blend
  • Plain nonfat Greek yogurt or low-fat cottage cheese (3/4 cup)
  • Salsa (1 cup) – choose mild, medium, or hot
  • Black beans (1 can, drained and rinsed)
  • Corn (1 cup, frozen or canned and drained)
  • Onion (1 small, finely diced)
  • Bell pepper (1, diced)
  • Spices – 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • Fresh cilantro (optional, chopped)
  • Olive oil or avocado oil (1 tbsp)
  • Lime (1, for juice and zest)
  • Cooking spray or a little oil for the baking dish
  • Optional toppings – hot sauce, diced tomatoes, sliced jalapeños, green onions, extra salsa

Method
 

  1. Preheat and prep. Heat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray or a thin film of oil.
  2. Sauté the veggies. Warm 1 tbsp oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper with a pinch of salt. Cook 4–5 minutes until softened and lightly golden, then remove from heat.
  3. Mix the protein filling. In a large bowl, combine shredded chicken, sautéed veggies, black beans, corn, salsa, Greek yogurt (or blended cottage cheese), lime zest, and lime juice. Sprinkle in chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Stir until evenly coated and creamy.
  4. Layer the base. Lay tortillas in the baking dish to cover the bottom, overlapping slightly. You can cut some tortillas in half to fit corners for a full base layer.
  5. Add filling and cheese. Spread half of the chicken mixture evenly over the tortillas. Top with about one-third to half of the shredded cheese.
  6. Second tortilla layer. Add another layer of tortillas to cover the filling.
  7. Repeat. Spread the remaining chicken mixture over the tortillas and sprinkle on another portion of cheese, reserving a little for the top.
  8. Finish with tortillas and cheese. Add a final tortilla layer and press gently to compact. Mist or brush the top with a little oil, then add the remaining cheese across the surface.
  9. Bake. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 10–12 minutes until the top is melted, bubbly, and starting to brown around the edges.
  10. Rest and slice. Let the bake rest 10 minutes so it sets and slices cleanly. Garnish with chopped cilantro and any toppings you like. Cut into squares and serve warm.