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!!!