The One-Ingredient Canned Upgrade That Brings A Kick To Quesadillas

Quesadillas are an easy lunch or dinner option that only take minutes to prepare. In its simplest form, this dish is just cheese melted inside of a baked or toasted flour tortilla — one of the best two-ingredient meals you can make. And for ease, you can even bake them on a sheet pan. With that said, there are plenty of ways to spice things up, and when you need a hint of heat, try adding some green chiles.

The best part of store-bought green chiles is they come pre-diced and ready to use right from the can, so there's no additional prep work on your part aside from peeling back the lid. There is very little to the ingredients list — just chopped green chile peppers, plus a little salt, citric acid, and calcium chloride, likely to act as preservatives. Plus, they're an easy thing to add because they'll hardly alter the nutritional value of the dish.

It's easiest to spread the green chiles on the inside of the tortilla before adding the cheese. Taste a small amount of the chiles first to get an understanding of the spice level — though they're quite mild as far as peppers go — then add them as desired. For a more spreadable mixture, you can fold them into some sour cream, then spread that onto the tortilla, too.

Since these chiles are pretty mild, most additional ingredients will pair nicely with them. Bell peppers and just about any type of cheese will work well, along with shredded chicken — when you're in a time crunch, you can also use canned chicken. If you want a little more spice, you can include a combination of diced green chiles and fresh jalapeños. For a spicy addition with a hint of smoky flavor, buy canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, which will still pair well with green chiles but offer an even bigger flavor burst.