J's Chicken Quesadillas

I know Jeremiah because I know his wife Cassidy. And I know first hand, Jeremiah loves good food. So much so, that he raided my fridge when he arrived late to a party, hopeful to find a few more pieces of cheesy garlic bread. Cassidy was horrified -- mostly because this was Jeremiah's first visit to my house, and generally a person doesn't pillage the hostess's fridge for snacks until he really gets to know her.

A while back (a long while back, if you ask Jeremiah), he came to me for a chicken quesadilla recipe. I make quesadillas for a quick lunch regularly, but I haven't ever given much thought to the process. I've done it so many times, I flip a quesadilla based on intuition, and I have no idea how long it takes or what the best combination of ingredients might be.

Tortillas are a blank canvas -- you can try any number of ingredients on them until you get the flavor profile you desire. Without having tasted the epic chicken quesadilla that prompted this specific recipe request, I am offering up my favorite combo of ingredients. Once you know the process, you can swap ingredients and invent all kinds of delicious meals.

Here's what you need to get started:

8 medium-sized flour tortillas (getting good tortillas is vital to making good quesadillas. Don't waste your money on a supermarket brand. If you're lucky enough enough to live near a Mexican market, get your tortillas there, especially if they make them in-house. While you're there, get yourself some freshly made pico unless you have intentions of chopping tomatoes, onions, and cilantro when you get home.)

1 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese (my favorite for it's melty factor, plus it isn't as overpowering as cheddar or pepper Jack. It blends nicely with the other flavors instead of trying to steal the show.)

2 scallions, sliced (optional -- I prefer my crunch to come from the pico, not the quesadilla itself)

1 cooked chicken breast, chopped into bite-sized pieces (I generally use leftovers. See below if you plan to cook chicken specifically for your quesadillas.)*

Pico de gallo, sour cream, guacamole, salsa, etc., for dipping

Set a large skillet on a stove with medium heat. Let it get hot. In the meantime, build your quesadillas. Lay out 4 tortillas, and top each with 1/4 cup cooked chicken, 1/4 cup cheese, and scallions if you like that extra crunch. Make sure to spread the ingredients evenly, creating a nice flat layer of chicken and cheese. Top each one with another flour tortilla.

Gently transfer the first quesadilla to the hot skillet, and allow it to brown until you can smell the tortilla. I make mine using scent as my timer, because the skillet gets progressively warmer with each quesadilla, so the cook time becomes progressively shorter. The first one can take as long as 3 or 4 minutes before it's ready to flip. Once you get a whiff of tortilla, flip the quesadilla to brown the other side. This requires a bit of grace, much like flipping an omelet or a pancake. Slide the spatula under the center of the quesadilla with your right hand (reverse this if you're a lefty), hold the skillet handle with your left hand, and gently turn the quesadilla upside-down, lifting and angling the skillet to catch the tortilla so you don't lose any chicken or cheese out the side.

Brown the other side, about 2 minutes (again you're really waiting for the smell to change). Gently lift the edge of the top tortilla -- if the cheese is melty and sticky, it's probably ready. Remove from skillet, and flip the quesadilla so the side you cooked last it facing up. If you put the hotter side down, the tortilla will sweat and create damp spots (and no one wants that). Repeat for the remaining quesadillas, remembering that each one will brown a little faster than the one before it.

Use a pizza slicer to cut the quesadilla into quarters, and serve with pico, sour cream, guacamole, and/or salsa for dipping. Pico is my favorite, but your really can't go wrong with any of these dippers.

*For the chicken:

3 uncooked chicken breasts (serve 2 for dinner today, use the remainder for your quesadillas tomorrow!)

2 cups orange juice

1 tbsp lemon pepper seasoning

Sprinkle chicken with lemon pepper, and place in a resealable plastic bag. Pour the orange juice over the chicken, and seal the bag. Allow chicken to marinate in the fridge for 2 hours before grilling. When you're through marinating, set the grill to medium heat, and grill chicken 7-10 minutes on each side (depending on their size). Beware of any hot spots on the grill, and move the chicken around as needed to prevent a burnt exterior. Cook until juices run clear. If you've grilled the chicken expressly to make quesadillas, allow it to stand for 5 minutes before you chop it into bite-sized pieces, so you don't lose all the juices to the cutting board.