Grilled Chicken & Pineapple Quesadillas

■8 whole Flour Tortillas
■Butter Or Margarine
■2 cups Grilled Pineapple, Sliced
■3 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
■Salt And Pepper, to taste
■3 cups Monterey Jack Cheese, Grated
■1 whole Jalapeno, Sliced
■Cilantro
■3 Tablespoons Barbecue Sauce


Preparation Instructions

(To grill pineapple: cut wedges, stick on skewers, and grill over low heat. Cut into slices.)


(To pound chicken, place inside a Ziploc bag and pound with a mallet or large can to flatten to uniform thickness.)


Sprinkle with salt and pepper and Cajun spice (or cumin/cayenne, etc.) Drizzle olive oil on a grill pan and grill on both sides until done, brushing with barbecue sauce. Set aside and slice into very thin slices.


Warm griddle over medium heat and put sizzling butter or margarine in the pan. Slightly warm and toast tortillas on both sides, then remove from griddle and set aside.


To assemble, sprinkle four browned tortillas with grated Monterey Jack. Arrange chicken slices evenly over the surface. Add pineapple slices and jalapeno slices. Sprinkle on cilantro. If desired, drizzle extra barbecue sauce over the top. Add second browned tortilla on top of each one. (You’ll have four complete quesadillas at this point.)


Add to oven to warm, or back to skillet to warm, until cheese is melted. Cut each quesadilla into six wedges. Serve with sour cream, pico de gallo, and lime wedges.

Potato Cheese Soup

10-12 medium-size potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 onions, chipped
1 lb. mild Mexican Velveeta cheese
2 cubes margarine (don't need this much)
2 carrots, sliced (I used baby carrots the last time)
2 stalks of celery, sliced
1 large can evaporated milk
optional: chicken broth

Cover potatoess, carrots, and celery with water in a stockpot and cook until soft. Then drain most of juice off. In a separate pan, sautee onions in margarine. ADd onions to potatoes and vegetables in stockpot and add water to the top of potatoes (or chicken broth). Now add cheese and milk and heat until cheese melts.

Grilled Chicken Parmesan

You can easily adapt this to serve larger or smaller families.  See my note at the bottom to see how I make it even easier.

4 (4-ounce) trimmed boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Olive oil in a sprayer
Salt, to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup Marinara Sauce
6 tablespoons finely shredded mozzarella cheese
2 teaspoons grated parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Preheat a grill to high heat.

Lightly mist both sides of the chicken with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the chicken, turning once, for 3-5 minutes per side, or until it is no longer pink inside and juices run clear. Transfer to a baking dish.


Heat the sauce on low in the microwave until warm. Top each breast with 2 tablespoons marinara sauce, followed by 1 1/2 tablespoons mozzarella, and 1/2 teaspoon Parmesan. Bake the chicken ofr 3-5 minutes, or just until the cheese is melted.


**I do this so much easier. I put frozen chicken breasts into a 9x13 pan, pour on the marinara, sprinkle on the cheese, and bake for about 30-45 minutes. Ty also loves this and says that it tastes like Olive Garden's.

Mustard and Herb-Baked Salmon

10 fresh tarragon leaves
3 fresh chives
3 large fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 small (1/4-pound) boneless, skinless salmon filet
2 teaspoons spicy brown or Dijon mustard

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly mist a small nonstick baking sheet with olive oil spray.

In a food processor fitted with a chopping blade, combine the tarragon, chives, basil, and parsley. Process until finely choopped (or chop by hand). Place the salmon in the prepared pan. Brush or rub the mustard over the salmon. Sprinkle evenly with the herb mixture, then press it into the mustard. Lightly mist with olive oil spray.


Bake for 11-13 minutes, or until the salmon is opaque. Serve hot or chilled.


**I just do this with frozen salmon, just cook it longer. I'm sure it would taste better if it was fresh and could really sink in, but Ty loves it regardless.
 
Tasty, tried and true recipes.  And easy.  That's my main criteria with any recipe.  Hope you like it.

S'mores Bars

12 (5x2 ½ inch) graham crackers
¾ cup butter
¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar
3 cups miniature marshmallows
4 milk chocolate candy bars, broken into pieces.

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line 15x10x1 inch jelly-roll pan with aluminum foil leaving a 1-inch overhang on ends; spray foil with cooking spray. Place graham crackers onto foil so sides touch.
2. Melt butter and brown sugar in medium saucepan over MEDIUM heat, stirring constantly, until smooth and mixture just comes to a boil, about 5 minutes. Pour evenly over crackers.
3. Bake 5 to 6 minutes or until bubbly.
4. Remove pan from oven; sprinkle with marshmallows and candy bar pieces. Continue baking until marshmallows begin to soften, about 2-3 minutes. Cool completely. Lift from pan using foil. Cut into bars.
Makes 36 bars
Tip: Use holiday-themed candies for specific holidays such as red and green for Christmas, orange and black for Halloween or pastel colored candies for spring.

**I saw this recipe on the back of a graham cracker box and it sounded yummy. I haven't made it yet (Dan's decided he's on a diet which means I'm on one too) but wanted to share it here and put it where I won't lose it. :) Let me know if you make it and how it turns out.