Foodie Friday Faves

Happy Friday!!!! Oh, and dear Lord, I am GLAD it's FRIDAY!!!!!! This week has been, um...interesting. It always is when your entire family of 5 is hit with the stomach flu!! #shootmenow. Needless to say, there was not a lot of eating going on in this house this week!

I had a few new recipes to test this week and CLEARLY never got to it!!! So instead of leaving you high and dry, I'll leave you with a few of my (slightly summer-themed) favorite recipes. If you are new to this blog, you probably haven't seen most of these. I hope you enjoy and I'll be back on the wagon next Friday!! ~ XO

1. Backyard BBQ Corn Salad ~ This is a slightly modified version from one of my favorite bloggers, Mix and Match Mama. It's soooo good and perfect for summer!!

2. Grilled Chicken Quesadillas ~ Tastes just like the yummy goodness from a chain restaurant but whole lot healthier!

 3. Ham & Swiss Cuban Panini ~ I've never met a panini I didn't like and this one is no exception!

4. Bacon and Corn Pasta: This is so good. You have to make it. That is all.

5.  Avocado Chicken Salad: This is a great, healthy twist on traditional chicken salad. I love it stuffed in a pita, wrapped in a tortilla or just eat it with chips!

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Foodie Friday ~ Pepperoni Pizza Quesadillas

Two of my favorite foods...pizza and quesadillas. I swear, you could put pretty much anything between two flour tortillas with cheese, grill it and I would eat it! My original version of quesadillas was a classic version, stuffed with chicken, cheese and bell peppers. SOOO yummy! This version combines everything on a pepperoni pizza, but grilled up between two crispy flour tortillas. Serious yumminess going on in this one, kids! I serve it up with a quick Caesar Salad (minus the chicken) and it's a dinner everyone LOVES!

Pepperoni Pizza Quesadillas
Makes 3 large quesadillas (serves 3-6)

6 flour tortillas
2-3 cups of Monterey Jack and/or sharp cheddar cheese (i use both)
20-25 slices of pepperoni (i use turkey pepperoni)
3 tablespoons marinara or pizza sauce (of course I used Gino Rispoli)
Olives (optional)

1. Heat a large countertop griddle or skillet to medium high heat.

2. Lay out three tortillas. Spread each one with about 1 tablespoon (a LIGHT layer) of marinara sauce. Top the sauce with cheese, pepperoni and olives (optional)--just like a pizza!

3. Sprinkle a bit more cheese on the tortilla and top with the other tortilla.

4. Brush the top of the quesadillas with olive oil or cooking spray. Place oiled-side down on the griddle or skillet; brush the other side with olive oil or cooking spray.

5. Cook quesadillas until golden brown and the cheese is gooey and melted (approx. 3 minutes per side).

6. Cool for a few minutes and slice into wedges.

There you have it--Italian/Mexican Fusion!!!

Recipe Wednesday: Grilled Chicken Quesadillas

This might be one of my favorite dinners...ever! Cheese, veggies, protein and a nice tortilla..it's basically all the food groups on one plate! It works great with leftover grilled chicken and if you have it, this comes together in about 15 minutes.

Grilled Chicken Quesidillas

*makes 3 large quesadillas

6 medium sized tortillas
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1/2 an onion, sliced
1 grilled chicken breast or 1 faux grilled chicken breast (click to see my method)
Taco seasoning or Cajun seasoning
2 cups of your favorite cheeses, grated (i love using sharp cheddar and monterey jack)
Cooking spray/olive oil

1. Slice grilled chicken into strips and set aside (i like to season my chicken with taco seasoning or Cajun seasoning for this recipe). In a large skillet, heat a little oil and add sliced peppers and onions and cook about 5-7 minutes until the veggies are slightly soft; set aside.

3. Heat a griddle, grill pan or large skillet; spray tortillas with cooking spray or brush lightly with oil.

4. Top each tortilla with a layer of cheese, chicken, veggies and more cheese (don't make it tooo fat!). Place another tortilla on top and place on the griddle. Repeat until you have 3 quesadillas.

5. Cook each quesadilla until golden brown on each side (about 2-4 minutes on each side).

6. Cut into triangles and serve with sour cream, salsa and avocado!

This tastes like something you would order as an appetizer at a chain restaurant but whole lot healthier!! You can swap out the veggies, use a different meat and mix up the cheeses--customize it to whatever you like. This would also be great as a vegetarian meal. Enjoy!

~XO,
Casey