Easy Baked Chicken Bacon Ranch Quesadillas

My life is changed. And just in time for Cinco de Mayo!

Quesadillas are a way of life around here. Everyone in my house loves them, and they make for a quick and easy weeknight meal. I am often using them as a “clean out the fridge” dinner at the end of a busy week.

But! I just figured out a way to simplify them. Instead of pan-crisping each one individually, we can make a whole tray of them and crisp them in the oven!

I am giddy over this discovery. It’s the little things.

While this method will work with any ingredients you have on hand or prefer in your quesadillas, I went with my all-time favorite indulgent flavor combo: chicken bacon ranch.

Who else is guilty of ordering these off every single chain restaurant menu? I love them…in all their gluttonous, cheesy glory.

So, the method is simple. Grease a sheet tray and crank the oven up to high. We need things to crisp, so a high temperature is essential.

Fill your tortillas with whatever you like. Again, we’re using cooked chicken, crispy bacon, ranch, and lots of cheese here. I also like to add in some fresh stuff for flavor and pizzazz. Our faves are red onion, scallions, and pickled jalapeños.

Place the filled tortillas right on the prepared pan, fold them over into half-moon shapes, brush with a touch more oil (to get them crispy!), and then bake. Flip halfway through and bake some more until they are golden and crisp and your filling is melty and gooey.

Is there anything better in this world than a hot tortilla filled with gooey cheese? No. No, there isn’t.

While they bake, prep any fresh garnishes you want to serve with these. We like more of the same: more ranch, more red onion, scallions, and jalapeños. Maybe some pico de gallo. Some avocado. And sometimes I’m really in the mood for shredded lettuce, so I’ll throw some of that one top too. Lots of lime wedges, too!

All that’s left to do is slice, garnish, and serve. The easiest dinner ever, and truly a showstopper when it comes to satisfying comfort and flavor.

These would be PERFECT for next week’s Cinco de Mayo celebrations, too. They’re so fast and easy! And you can customize them for each person, as needed.

I am hopelessly in love with ranch. I never grew up enjoying it much, but now, as an adult: I put that sh!t on everything. Definitely one of my favorite condiments of all time.

Again, if these flavors aren’t your thing, you do you! This is a great way to use up any leftover protein you may have in the fridge from other recipes. Chicken, pork, or beef. Or make them vegetarian with beans and veggies! Seriously, whatever you want works here.

The method is the true recipe here.

Me? I’ll just take a big pile of these cheesy quesadillas stuffed with chicken, bacon, and ranch. With more ranch on top.

I will not apologize! Ranch for life.

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