Oooh Sunday Funday! (I know I’m a little late! It’s been a busy week, I’m finally going back to work next week, with a new job, so I’ve had some meetings and stuff to take care of! It’s very bittersweet! I’m going to miss my little guy big time! Thankfully I’m working overnight, so he’ll be sleeping most of the time!) Anyway on Sunday we had a little Mexican Fiesta while watching the Patriots kick some ass! It was a nail biter til’ the end, but Brady didn’t let us down & played hard til the end, marching it down the field, he did what Brady does, and it paid off, another victory! Go Pats! We loaded up on mexican food, and even had BBQ Pulled Pork Crockpot tacos Monday, it was a weekend worth of Mexican! Yum! I made the yummiest Quesadilla’s ever, not exaggerating. They were awesome, my boyfriend could not stop raving about them all night, & when he got home from class the next day, had me make him some more with the leftovers, claiming he had “been thinking about them since 5am when I woke up”, yah, they were THAT good! Stuffed with a choc’ full o’ yumminess including delish homemade Pico de Gallo, topped with Homemade Guacamole and homemade Salsa Verde, as well as Sour Cream! They were fabulous! I nabbed the Pico de Gallo recipe from My Life as a Mrs, and I wouldn’t change a thing, it was perfect AS IS! (It’s lasted us all week without going soggy because the tomatoes were nice and firm. And I must say after a couple days in the fridge, it was even yummier! The flavors really came out!) All of these dips are homemade and so easy, make them! Everything is better homemade, you will never want jarred salsa again, I promise you that. The freshness & flavor in making it at home is unbelievable, you’ll LOVE IT! So definitely try these Quesadilla’s, and make these dips, have a Mexican fiesta of your own! Don’t forget your Margs! 😉

First I started by cooking four boneless chicken breasts. Trim off the fat, rinse them, dry them with paper towels, and lay them out in a 9×13″ pan. I covered and tossed mine in this mesquite marinade, but you can just use BBQ sauce if that’s what you have. Cook on 350 for 25-30 minutes, or until your chicken is cooked, I know all ovens are different. While your chicken is cooking make your guacamole, Pico de Gallo, an Salsa Verde! (Click on each link to bring you to the recipe!) I made enough of each so that we could use half of it to dip in with some tortilla chips, and half of it to eat with our Quesadillas.

While your chicken is cooling down, quarter two large sweet red peppers and a yellow onion.  Toss them in your grill pan, until you start to see them charring. When they are done, dice them all up and set aside. Using the same heated up pan, throw on the pineapple slices, I jut used canned, it was quicker, but you can use fresh pineapple if you prefer. Let them grill until you see the charred grill marks, then pull then off and chop them up, set aside.

Now that your chicken is cool, time to shred it. I chopped mine into chunks and just tossed it in the food processor. It was much quicker that way but if you don’t have one, just using two forks and pulling the chicken in opposite directions works just as well.

Now chop up your cilantro. Heat up the pan, and then add a little butter, about a teaspoon.

Pieces of my assembly line!

Once the butter is melted, toss on your flour tortilla. Immediately begin to assemble, first spreading cheese to cover the whole tortilla, do the same with the chicken, then sprinkle on some of the diced peppers and onions, and some of the Pico de Gallo. Then place the chopped pineapple on top, sprinkle with some of the chopped cilantro, and drizzle with BBQ sauce, I used Sweet Baby Ray’s. Then top the quesadilla with another tortilla. Add a little bit more butter to the edge of the pan, and carefully using a spatula, flip the quesadilla to brown the other side. Give it a minute or two, then pull off and Serve!

Doesn’t that just look delish! And so colorful! (Right before I topped it with the second tortilla!)

We topped ours with the delicious Guacamole, some Salsa Verde, and sour cream! If you want more Pico de Gallo, throw some on top, nothing like fresh tomatoes! The flavors will explode in your mouth! It is truly delicious! You have to try them!

As always, let me know what you think! Have a fabulous Thursday everyone!

Mesquite BBQ Quesadillas

Adapted From: My Life as a Mrs

Yield: 6-7 Quesadillas

Prep Time: 45 minutes (to include, making Guacamole, Salsa Verde, and Pico de Gallo) If you’re not making all those, then about 20 minutes.)

Cook Time: 35 minutes (to include chicken cook time)

Total Time: 55 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless chicken breasts
• 2 cups mesquite marinade (or BBQ Sauce)
• 2 Sweet Red Peppers
• 1 Yellow Onion
• 1 Can Pineapple Slices
• BBQ Sauce
• 1 Cup Cilantro, chopped
• 4 cups Shredded Cheese, I used Cheddar
• Pico de Gallo (or diced tomatoes if you don’t make the Pico de Gallo)
  
• 10-12 8 inch Flour Tortillas

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Trim the fat off the chicken, rinse & dry it. Put them in a 9×13″ pan, drizzle mesquite marinade (or BBQ sauce) over each & toss them to coat. Put the chicken in the oven for 25-30 minutes.
3. While that’s cooking, quarter the sweet peppers and onion, toss them in your grill pan until they are slightly charred, pull off and dice them up, set aside.
4. Using the heated grill pan, put on your pineapple slices, without overlapping them, and allow them to cook until grill lines begin to form. Then pull them off and chop them, set aside.
5. Once your chicken is done and cooled, shred it, either using two forks pulling in opposite directions, or using a food processor.
6. Chop up the cilantro.
7. Heat skillet, add butter, then first tortilla shell.
8. Assemble your quesadilla first with the shredded cheese, then the chicken followed by the chopped grilled peppers and onions, Pico de Gallo if you’ve made it, if not chopped tomatoes work fine, then the chopped pineapple. Sprinkle on the cilantro and drizzle your BBQ sauce. Top with another tortilla shell.
9. Add a little more butter to the pan, then carefully flip the quesadilla. Allow to cook for 1-2 minutes.
10. Pull off and serve! Top with sour cream, salsa verde, and some guacamole! Yum!! Enjoy!