Salsa Verde, Avocado, + Spinach Quesadillas

Happy (almost) St. Patrick's Day! I actually have a funny story in the spirit of this day. Growing up in Chicagoland, I was surrounded by friends who were Irish, and (rightfully) proud of it. Every St. Paddy's Day, I'd wear green and paint shamrocks on my face with the rest of them - but it was well known that little Missy was one of the few in the group who wasn't Irish, and was therefore basically just an outsider on this special day when the Chicago River was dyed green and our parents drank green beer. I actually remember my sister and I wishing on stars and pennies in ponds and birthday candles that we'd wake up Irish. Well when I was in my late twenties, I got a call from my mom shortly after my grandmother Betty had passed away. While going through piles of old papers my grandma had held onto her entire life, they discovered that my grandmother's grandparents had immigrated from - yes, that's right - Ireland. After almost three decades of wishing I could relate to my plethora of Irish friends, I found out that I was, indeed, Irish. And you can bet I more than made up for it on St. Patrick's Day a few weeks later. (I didn't have kids yet, so I went for it, man.)

This year I wanted to come up with a fun recipe for my kids to celebrate the day. And since I'm borderline obsessed with Mexican food, I decided I needed to somehow combine a Mexican-inspired dish with something St. Patrick's Day themed. What I came up with is an all green quesadilla that is ridiculously easy and stupendously delicious. Whether you're Irish or not, you'll love these Salsa Verde, Avocado, and Baby Spinach Quesadillas.

Serves 1-2

Ingredients
Large spinach (or any green) tortilla (CHI-CHI's Burrito Style Tortilla works great too!)
1 cup grated cheese (we like cheddar or a Mexican blend)
Handful of fresh baby spinach
1/2 tablespoon coconut oil (can also use butter)
1/2 cup CHI-CHI'S Salsa Verde
1/2 avocado, cubed
Small handful of cilantro (optional)
1/2 lime

In a large skillet, melt the coconut oil or butter over medium heat. Place the tortilla in the pan and flip a few times to warm both sides. Sprinkle cheese over half of the tortilla, then cover with a layer of baby spinach leaves. Fold uncovered side over the top of the covered side so tortilla is folded in half. Reduce heat to low and cover the pan for one minute. Uncover, flip, and cover again for one minute. Repeat this every minute or so until the cheese is fully melted. Remove from pan and slice into wedges. Top with CHI-CHI'S Salsa Verde, cubed avocado, cilantro, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Serve and eat!

(Confession: I don't like cilantro, but it adds to the pretty green shades. I take mine off before I eat it, because I'm weird like that.)

I love all of CHI-CHI’S line of Mexican food favorites (seriously yummy salsas, chips, and tortillas that you can find at most major groceries including Target and Walmart), but their Salsa Verde is my absolute favorite. It's got a really great, tangy flavor that's perfect for recipes or alone as a dip, and is made from quality ingredients, including real vegetables, jalapeño peppers (which are packed with Vitamin C and also help boost your metabolism), and contains only 10 calories per serving. And obviously, it's perfect for your St. Patrick's Day recipes. We're pretty excited to make these tomorrow (you know, to celebrate our Irish heritage and everything. HA.)

Anybody else have any funny stories about being Irish? What are your St. Paddy's Day plans?

This post is in partnership with CHI-CHI'S Mexican Foods. Thank you for supporting the brands that help make Bubby and Bean possible.

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