So, the other day, I decided to whip up some chicken quesadillas. They’re quick, they’re easy, and everyone loves ’em, right? But then I stood there, looking at my pan, thinking, “Okay, quesadillas are great, but they kinda need some buddies on the plate.” Just serving them solo feels a bit… incomplete, you know?
I peeked into the fridge, did a quick scan of the pantry. Wasn’t looking for anything too complicated. The quesadillas themselves are pretty straightforward, so the sides should be too. That’s my philosophy, anyway. Keep it simple.
First up: The Guac Mission
My eyes landed on a couple of avocados sitting on the counter. Bingo. Guacamole is always, and I mean always, a good call with anything Tex-Mex. These avocados, thankfully, were just at that perfect stage – not rock hard, not too mushy. You know the kind. Sometimes you get unlucky, but this time, the avocado gods were smiling on me.
So, I grabbed a bowl. Sliced those avocados open, pitted them – always a bit of a careful operation, that – and scooped all that green goodness into the bowl. Took a fork and just started mashing. I don’t get fancy with it. A little chunky is good, I think. Adds texture.
Then I thought, what else? Onion, definitely. I had a red onion, so I chopped up a small bit of that, nice and fine. Some folks swear by white onion for guac, but I like the color and that slightly sharper kick of the red. Tossed that in. Cilantro! Almost forgot. Chopped up a good handful of fresh cilantro. The smell alone just brightens things up. And lime juice, of course. Squeezed in the juice of about half a lime to start. A good pinch of salt, some black pepper. Gave it all a good stir with the fork. Tasted it. Needed a bit more lime, a touch more salt. Perfect. Guac, done. Took all of, what, five minutes?
Next: A Quick Corn Salsa Thing
Okay, guac sorted. But I wanted something else, something a little different, maybe a bit zesty to cut through the richness of the cheese and chicken. I remembered I had a can of sweetcorn tucked away in the pantry. An idea sparked: quick corn salsa. Why not? Sounds good, sounds easy.
Popped open that can, drained the corn really well. Dumped it into another bowl. I had a red bell pepper in the veggie drawer, looking a bit lonely. Chopped that up into small pieces. Added that to the corn. More red onion? Yep, used a bit more of what I already had chopped. No point wasting it. Threw in some more chopped cilantro because, well, I like cilantro, and it just fits.
For a little bit of a kick – not too much, just a hint – I minced up a tiny piece of jalapeño I had. Very tiny. Then, for the “dressing” part, just a drizzle of olive oil, a good squeeze of lime juice (again!), a pinch of salt, and this time, a little sprinkle of cumin. I find cumin adds a nice warmth. Stirred it all together. It looked pretty, all colorful with the yellow corn, red pepper, and green cilantro. Tasted it. Fresh, tangy, a little sweet from the corn. Nice contrast to the creamy guac.
And The Simplest Side of All…
You know what else goes great with quesadillas and doesn’t require any effort? Sour cream. Or even plain yogurt if you have that. I had a tub of sour cream. So, a dollop of that was definitely going on the plate. No prep required. My kind of side dish on a busy day.
So there it was. The chicken quesadillas came off the griddle, all golden and cheesy. I dished them up with a generous spoonful of that homemade guacamole, a nice pile of the corn salsa, and that cool blob of sour cream. It really made the meal feel complete. The fresh, vibrant flavors of the sides just lifted the whole thing. And it wasn’t a ton of extra work, which is key.
Honestly, sometimes these simple, thrown-together sides are the absolute best. Nothing too fussy, just good, fresh ingredients. Made the quesadilla night feel a bit more special. Definitely a combo I’ll be repeating.
