The Copy Cat series will be an ongoing series in which I attempt to re-create mine and others favorite restaurant foods. There are always exceptions, but generally food cooked at home is more affordable than food ordered out - and often times more healthy. Learning to create the foods we crave can save dollars and sometimes calories!
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Ok, don't act like you didn't know about my Taco Bell addiction!
Anyway, if you are familiar with their Quesadillas? You know they have such a unique flavor. I've made Quesadillas at home before and they taste nothing like the Taco Bell ones. Usually good, but not the same.
Unlike my usual approach to recipes, I followed this one (almost) to the letter, which required the sourcing of these:
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| Jalapeno Pepper Slices |
You can by them already diced too, but not the day I went at target. However, these were being clearance which is pretty cool. (Apparently, because of a label change - the food was still fine)
The secret ingredients to creating that zesty sweet flavor are mayo and sugar.
SAUCE (I left this part as is.)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
QUESADILLAS (I try not to eat processed American Cheese... if I can help it)
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| The sauce! |
I fully cooked the chicken before adding it to the tortilla sandwich, which I fried in a bit of canola oil (spray kind) to get a crispy shell.
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| Topped with tomatoes and hot sauce |
Verdict: These are amazing! I licked my plate, and the boyfriend thinks they are more flavorful than the original.
Reality: they are not amazing health wise:
My version of the had this for calorie counts:
Note: Depending on how much sauce, chicken and cheese you use, you may wind up with more than a serving, but I think this is as accurate as possible assuming averages. Substituting lower calorie replacements like light mayo or low-fat cheese would be an easy fix if you are wanting to cut cals.
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Serving Size 110 g
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Amount Per Serving
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Total Carbohydrates
21.3g
7%
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| Vitamin A 14% | • | Vitamin C 1% |
| Calcium 45% | • | Iron 6% |
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(source: caloriecount.com)
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Cost: I basically had everything on hand already, so the only special purchase was the Jalapeno Peppers, which were clearanced to $1.15, and I did not even come close to using all of them. My back of the envelope math says these were about $1.06/per serving or $4.24 for the whole recipe. The chicken being by far the most expensive part.
For comparison a Quesadilla at Taco Bell costs $2.89 (varies by store) and has 530 calories. Not a shocking difference per say, but yeah taking out that American Cheese helps - no surprise there.
