Quesadilla Explosion Salad: SparkRecipes Un-Chained Recipe Contest Finalist
Nutritional Info
- Servings Per Recipe: 1
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories: 384.5
- Total Fat: 7.9 g
- Cholesterol: 7.2 mg
- Sodium: 1,554.4 mg
- Total Carbs: 58.8 g
- Dietary Fiber: 18.9 g
- Protein: 26.4 g
View full nutritional breakdown of Quesadilla Explosion Salad: SparkRecipes Un-Chained Recipe Contest Finalist calories by ingredient
Introduction
Oh, Quesadilla Explosion Salad! How I love you!I have eaten plenty of these at Chili's and was "Oh so surprised!" to see it listed as #2 on the 10 worst restaurant salads! Number T-O-O! Too much fat, Too many calories, Too many points!
It's a salad! How can it be so bad for you?
Something had to be done! This is my response. I have also created recipes for the various ingredients used in this salad. They are named as they appear in the list of ingredients. Feel free to use them or your own. Beware the nutrition data of this salad will change if you use another version. Oh, Quesadilla Explosion Salad! How I love you!
I have eaten plenty of these at Chili's and was "Oh so surprised!" to see it listed as #2 on the 10 worst restaurant salads! Number T-O-O! Too much fat, Too many calories, Too many points!
It's a salad! How can it be so bad for you?
Something had to be done! This is my response. I have also created recipes for the various ingredients used in this salad. They are named as they appear in the list of ingredients. Feel free to use them or your own. Beware the nutrition data of this salad will change if you use another version.
Number of Servings: 1
Ingredients
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6 ounces bagged salad mix
1 vegetarian chicken patty (such as Morningstar)
1 serving Chipotle Ranch Dressing (see below)
1 packet ranch dressing mix
1 cup 2% milk
1 cup non-fat Greek yogurt
1 tsp chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 serving Citrus Balsamic Vinaigrette (see below)
1/4 cup orange juice
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp Splenda
1/2 tsp orange zest
pinch of nutmeg
1 serving Sweet Potato Strips (see below)
1/4 medium sweet potato, washed, sliced thinly (1/16") and cut into strips
nonstick cooking spray
1/4 tsp salt(optional)
1 serving Cheese Quesadilla (see below)
1 ounce shredded low fat colby jack cheese
1 Mission Carb Balance Whole Wheat Fajita Sized Tortilla
1 serving Roasted Corn and Black Bean Salsa (see below)
2 ears of corn, roasted, kernels removed from cob (about 2 cups kernels)
1 cup black beans, rinsed (if you make your own use little salt and no fat)
1 medium red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded, de-veined and chopped
1/4 red onion, chopped
juice of 1 lime
salt to taste
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
Directions
Prepare Sweet Potato Strips:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly spray strips with nonstick cooking spray, then dust with salt (optional). Place in a single layer on a cookie sheet and bake in oven for 20 minutes. Stir and turn the strips halfway through.
Allow to cool. They will crisp up a bit more after they come out of the oven (makes 1 serving)
Prepare Roasted Corn Salsa-
Add peppers, corn, and black beans to a bowl, then squeeze in lime juice and add salt. Give it a stir and add the cilantro. (Makes 8 1/2 cup servings--you'll have plenty leftover.)
Prepare dressings.
To make Chipotle Ranch Dressing:
Add milk and yogurt to ranch dressing mix. Stir in chipotle and store in refrigerator. (Makes 16 1 ounce servings.)
To make Citrus Balsamic Vinaigrette:
Place all ingredients in a saucepan, then cook over low heat for one minute. Cool and refrigerate. (Makes 1 serving.)
To make quesadilla:
Place cheese on half of the tortilla and fold over.
Spray the tortilla with nonstick cooking spray and cook in a sautepan heated over medium-high. Cook one minute on each side, or until cheese is melted. Cut into 4 wedges(makes 1 serving).
Prepare veggie "chicken" patty per package directions and slice into strips.
Place 6 ounces salad mix on plate, top with "chicken" strips, roasted corn and black bean salsa and sweet potato strips.
Place cut quesadilla around the edge of the plate.
Drizzle salad with dressings.
Number of Servings: 1
Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user LILDVA.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly spray strips with nonstick cooking spray, then dust with salt (optional). Place in a single layer on a cookie sheet and bake in oven for 20 minutes. Stir and turn the strips halfway through.
Allow to cool. They will crisp up a bit more after they come out of the oven (makes 1 serving)
Prepare Roasted Corn Salsa-
Add peppers, corn, and black beans to a bowl, then squeeze in lime juice and add salt. Give it a stir and add the cilantro. (Makes 8 1/2 cup servings--you'll have plenty leftover.)
Prepare dressings.
To make Chipotle Ranch Dressing:
Add milk and yogurt to ranch dressing mix. Stir in chipotle and store in refrigerator. (Makes 16 1 ounce servings.)
To make Citrus Balsamic Vinaigrette:
Place all ingredients in a saucepan, then cook over low heat for one minute. Cool and refrigerate. (Makes 1 serving.)
To make quesadilla:
Place cheese on half of the tortilla and fold over.
Spray the tortilla with nonstick cooking spray and cook in a sautepan heated over medium-high. Cook one minute on each side, or until cheese is melted. Cut into 4 wedges(makes 1 serving).
Prepare veggie "chicken" patty per package directions and slice into strips.
Place 6 ounces salad mix on plate, top with "chicken" strips, roasted corn and black bean salsa and sweet potato strips.
Place cut quesadilla around the edge of the plate.
Drizzle salad with dressings.
Number of Servings: 1
Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user LILDVA.
Member Ratings For This Recipe
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ONECALMMOM
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TEDDYTUXEDO
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KNELSO2
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GCSEATTLE
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JAYJAYBEE55
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MOGAL1946
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SHUTRBUG1
I don't mind spending extra time in the kitchen to make everything from scratch . . . but not for 1500 mg of sodium per serving. I'd have to find a way to reduce that or pass. - 11/4/09
Reply from LILDVA (11/4/09)
The majority of the sodium in this recipe comes from the tortilla-220 mg, the cheese-190 mg and the Chick'n Patty-350 mg. I did include small amounts of salt but that could be easily omitted.
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CAROLJ35
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LADIWOLF59
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ZILPHAM
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JEANMARIEOK
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VTMELWEL
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BETHSHEALTH
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ANGELRED4KIDS
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TRICIAN13
Packeted dressings are very high in sodium--leave it out, as well as the cheese and the vegetarian chicken pattie. Toast the tortilla and use it without the cheese; make your own baked chicken breast, if you want. Cuts way down on the sodium and some fat and calories also. Helps stay on track. - 8/23/11
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CABO01
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COSBORNE3
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LILDREAMY
For you all who have never had the Quesadilla explosion salad at Chili's, you are missing out... BUT I've recently passed by it on the menu because of all the calories. The citrus balsamic vinegarette is my favorite thing about the salad... well, maybe the quesadilla's too. :-) This recipe rocks! - 8/23/10
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KIMPOSSIBLETX
This recipe by itself would be a lot of work. Plan ahead, make corn salsa, ranch dressing, ect to use again. Corn salsa would be great in a frittata, chili or a side dish. Make your own WW tortilla's using a pasta roller to DRAMATICALLY cut sodium. Super easy. Ellie Krieger's ranch dressing recipe! - 1/3/10
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FABBECKY
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GIMPSTER
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JAMIEMONSTER
Hi, guys... the sodium count is off on the recipe counter. It looks like there is the sodium content of the entire ranch dressing packet included in the nutritional stats, and not dividing it up into its 16 1oz prepared servings. If this is what happened, it would inaccurately raise the sodium. - 1/1/13
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VIKYLEE1
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CENNET1
I dont have many of the items listed but I substituted cooked chicken for the patty, no black beans, plain ranch dressing (packet just mixed with yogurt), lavas for the tortilla, no black beans, and I dont even know what a chipotle is but we dont have it here in this country, however,loved it!! - 8/30/11
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POLSKARENIA
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MOG2012
I agree with the dismay over the sodium content. And I think a lot of it comes with the ranch dressing mix, 240 mg per each of those 16 servings, and who puts just one serving on so it could be even higher. And Splenda, what calls for sweet in this recipe? I will make this but leave out those two in - 8/23/11
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CAREN77
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IM-DNEECE
AWESOME! I was dreading the prep involved in this one, but I found a few major shortcuts and was done in about 30 mins. In the ranch dressing I used smoked chipotle powder and I majorly dumbed down the black bean salsa - can of corn, can of black beans, and can of Rotel w/ lime and cilantro alread - 8/20/11
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TRINAROCKS
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VIKTORIALYN
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MOM2ETHANXEMMA
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BOND7GIRL
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CD5821225
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GRACENFAITH
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SKY828
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TERFREE
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MAY1951
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WINEDINETRAVEL
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BEASIZEMORE
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MIKEROYAL
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SMILAM01
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PURPLEALLY
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SNOWYOWL56
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MRSHAFEN
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SWEETSUGAR7
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JOANSTUKES
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KEEPITMOVING
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CHATERJOY
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ELIZALEA
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KELLYSHEARN
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MAMA2GRACEE
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SHERI1969
Sounds great but a lot of work for one person. Would be good for a family get together. - 11/4/09
Reply from LILDVA (11/4/09)
This recipe makes a generous serving for 1 person! At least as big as the one you get in the restaurant! Really a 2 person serving and could easily serve 4 or more with some additional greens and another Chick'n Patty or 2!
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SONICB
