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Turkey Cranberry Quesadilla

I always try to buy jarred cranberry sauce, as it generally lasts longer than canned and tends to contain more natural ingredients. If you can’t find jarred, it’s okay to buy canned because it freezes well. Simply use what you need and then portion out the rest to save in small resealable freezer bags for future use. You can save even more time on this recipe by buying precooked turkey breast strips, though you should be careful they haven’t been cooked in too much fat or have too much added sodium. If you can’t find raw turkey breast strips, ask your butcher to cut a turkey breast or turkey cutlet for you. He or she is likely to do it at no extra charge.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    makes 1 quesadilla

Ingredients

3 ounces raw turkey breast strips
Salt and pepper, to taste
Olive oil spray
1 (about 8-inch-diameter) reduced-fat, whole-wheat flour tortilla
1 tablespoon jarred or canned cranberry sauce
1 1/2 ounces (about 3/4 cup) finely shredded 75% light Cheddar cheese (I used Cabot’s)
1 teaspoon seeded and finely chopped jalapeño (optional)

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Preheat the oven to 350°F.

    Step 2

    In a small bowl, toss the turkey with salt and pepper.

    Step 3

    Place a small nonstick skillet over high heat. When hot, lightly mist the pan with spray and add the turkey. Cook the strips, rotating them occasionally, until lightly browned and no longer pink inside, 2 to 4 minutes. Set aside.

    Step 4

    Place the tortilla on a small nonstick baking sheet. Using the back of a spoon, spread the cranberry sauce evenly over half the tortilla. Sprinkle half the cheese evenly over the top of the sauce, followed by the turkey, the jalapeño (if desired), and then the remaining cheese. Fold the bare half over the filling. Bake the quesadilla until the cheese is melted, 4 to 7 minutes. Using a spatula, flip it onto a clean, dry cutting board. Slice it into 4 wedges. Transfer the wedges to a serving plate and serve immediately.

  2. nutrition information

    Step 5

    Calories: 318

    Step 6

    Protein: 38g

    Step 7

    Carbohydrates: 30g

    Step 8

    Fat: 6g

    Step 9

    Saturated Fat: 2g

    Step 10

    Cholesterol: 49mg

    Step 11

    Fiber: 2g

    Step 12

    Sodium: 517mg

Reprinted with permission from I Can't Believe It's Not Fattening! by Devin Alexander. Copyright © 2010 Devin Alexander. Published by Clarkson Potter Publishers, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. Devin Alexander is the author of The Most Decadent Diet Ever, Fast Food Fix, and coauthor of The New York Times bestsellers The Biggest Loser Cookbook and The Biggest Loser Family Cookbook. She was a chef on NBC's The Biggest Loser and the host of Healthy Decadence on Discover Health and FitTV.
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