Barbecue Chicken Quesadillas

This is one of our favorite weeknight dinners.  So easy and everyone in my family gobbles it up!  There's some spice to it, so if you're serving it to your kiddos as well, you may want to omit the jalapenos and customize it to their taste.

But, that's what's awesome about quesadillas - you can make them any way you like them!  I used McCormick's Montreal steak spicy grill seasoning to season the chicken - tons of flavor and I like the spice.  The cheese I used is a blend of Mexican cheeses and taco seasoning.  Use your go-to seasoning for chicken (even taco seasoning on the chicken would be great) and whatever cheese you love.

  

I make my own salsa a LOT.  My husband can't get enough of it!  You can get the recipe here, or just use your favorite store brand.  

I wrote this recipe for 2 quesadillas, but you'll probably have enough chicken to do another 1/2 (just use one tortilla and fold it over).  I don't like a ton of chicken on mine, so I use less than my portion, then make a smaller one for the kids!     

Serves 2-3 

Barbecue Chicken Quesadillas

1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced
olive oil
1 tablespoon Montreal steak spicy grill seasoning
1/2 cup barbecue sauce, plus more for drizzling
4 flour tortillas (soft taco size)
2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
2 tablespoons diced jalapenos
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

In a skillet over medium, heat olive oil until it starts to ripple, then add chicken.  Sprinkle the grill seasoning over the chicken and cook until done throughout.  Remove from heat and stir in the 1/2 cup of barbecue sauce.  Set aside.

Preheat quesadilla maker or a large skillet (if using a pan on the stove, you'll need to brush each side of the tortillas with olive oil or vegetable oil and spray the skillet with non-stick spray).  On one tortilla, sprinkle about 1/2 cup cheese.  Top with 1/2 of the chicken, 1 tablespoon of jalapenos and 1/2 tablespoon cilantro.  Top with another 1/2 cup of cheese and then drizzle more barbecue sauce (to taste).  Top with another flour tortilla.  Repeat to make the other quesadilla.

Place assembled quesadilla onto the quesadilla maker and close lid.  Cook until cheese is melted and top is golden brown, about 4-5 minutes.  If using the stove, cook for a couple minutes on one side, until the cheese starts to melt and the tortilla turns golden, then flip to heat the other side.

Serve with salsa and other favorite toppings.  

Barbecue Ranch Chicken Wraps

This was a weekend creation that started with my husband wanting a wrap for lunch.  You know, something a little more substantial than our normal pb & j (as much as I cook, my kids live off of them during the week!).  He diced and cooked the chicken with a little seasoning salt and grill seasoning and I got the veggies ready. 

I've had quite a few barbecue chicken wraps at different restaurants so when we asked what else I wanted on it, I immediately thought Ranch dressing and barbecue sauce.  Instead of cheese to keep it a bit lighter, I topped it all with Santa Fe tortilla strips that I normally use on my salads (found with the croutons in the grocery store).  Oh my goodness...talk about lick your fingers good!

Makes 4 wraps

Barbecue Ranch Chicken Wraps

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts diced

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons seasoning salt or grill seasoning (or combination of both)

2 Roma tomatoes, sliced

3-4 leaves Romaine lettuce

4 tablespoons barbecue sauce 

4 tablespoons light ranch dressing

4 tablespoons Santa Fe tortilla strips

4 soft taco size tortillas

Add olive oil to a medium skillet and heat over medium for a couple of minutes.  Add chicken and seasoning and cook until done throughout.  In the meantime, assemble the wraps.

Place the tortillas between two damp paper towels and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds.  In the middle of the wrap, place a couple of pieces of lettuce, topped with 3 or 4 slices of tomatoes.  Top with about 1/3 cup chicken.  Drizzle about 1 tablespoon of the ranch dressing and barbecue sauce (each) over the chicken, topped with about a tablespoon of the tortilla strips.  Roll up and cut if desired. 

Slow Cooker Southern Style Pulled Pork and Coleslaw

I don't make this that often, but after what I think was one of the best meals we ever had, I will be making this a lot more.  When I made pulled pork previously, I used a very basic rub - brown sugar, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper and done.  It was good, but not nearly as good as the recipe for the rub that my dad gave me, which is what I used this time.  And did I mention this is done in the Crock Pot?   Yeah, easy, one pot and you're set. 

So, my in-laws were visiting and I decided to make this and for the first time, to make a coleslaw to top it.  Oh.Em.Gee.  Never again will I make pulled pork without coleslaw!  I mean, where have you been all my life?!  You can buy the coleslaw, but it was too easy not to just make it.  I'm super picky about my coleslaw anyway so this way I could make it just the way I like it (creamy, but not too creamy that it gets soggy, you know?).  My dad had given me the rub already made, but I know it isn't hard to make.  You may not have all of the ingredients though, so just be sure to check (I know for sure that I don't usually have smoked paprika around, but I will now!).  Enjoy - my mouth is watering just thinking about this.  Hmmm...I do have pork in the freezer.  I should get it out to thaw NOW... :)

Awesome pulled pork on ciabatta rolls

Homemade coleslaw

Serves 8

1 4-5 pound Boston Butt pork roast, cut into 4 equal pieces

1/4 cup smoky-sweet BBQ rub

1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup water

4 garlic cloves, minced

8 rolls, your choice - we use ciabatta

barbecue sauce

Sweet and Smoky Rub

1/4 cup kosher salt

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons smoked paprika

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons black pepper

1 teaspoon dry mustard 

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground ginger

Combine all the ingredients for the rub and place in an airtight container (you will use less than half of what you make).  Rinse the pork and pat dry.  Make little slits throughout the meat and sprinkle with the rub.  Really work the rub into the meat and allow to sit for 30 minutes.  Meanwhile, combine the vinegar, water and garlic in a medium bowl.  

Place pork in Crock Pot and pour vinegar mixture over the pork.  Cover and cook on high for 5-7 hours or until meat is tender and shreds easily.  Transfer pork to cutting board and shred with 2 forks.  I usually place all the pork in a bowl and ladle some of the liquid on top to keep it moist.  Serve on your favorite type of roll, topped with your favorite barbecue sauce (we are Sweet Baby Ray's all the way!) and coleslaw (recipe follows).

Coleslaw

1 bag of shredded coleslaw mix

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon yellow mustard

1 teaspoon celery seed

Combine all the ingredients and allow to sit for about 15 minutes before serving.  

Ranch Barbecue Chicken Pizza

I think I could eat barbecue chicken on just about anything...and I think I have!  Nachos, in egg rolls (click here for that recipe), sandwiches, and now pizza.  I made stromboli over the weekend and I had some extra dough to make pizza some night this week.  Have you tried my recipe for pizza dough yet?  It's so simple and makes enough for 2 pizzas.  Love, love, love having it around for a quick weeknight meal.  

Back to this pizza...what is better than barbecue chicken you ask?  How about spicy barbecue chicken with a hint of ranch?  Ta-da!  My husband and I ate the whole thing last night, yup, just the two of us.  We were lucky enough to have both kids in bed before 8.  It was heavenly.  I don't remember the last time we had an evening to ourselves like that ~ probably 7 1/2 months ago before Max was born.  Funny thing is that I think we were both asleep around 9.  

1 pound of pizza dough
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed
2 teaspoons spicy Montreal steak seasoning
1/2 cup barbecue sauce, divided (we use Sweet Baby Ray's) plus more for drizzling
1/4 ranch dressing, plus more for drizzling
1 1/2 cups Mexican blend shredded cheese (or whatever you like - Monterey Jack or cheddar, etc)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Roll out pizza dough into a circle (for a pizza stone - you can also do this on 11x18 baking sheet, then you'll need to roll out a rectangle).  While your pizza stone is getting hot in your oven, start making your chicken.  Add a tablespoon of olive oil to a medium skillet and heat over medium heat.  Add chicken and grill seasoning and cook until done throughout.  Take off heat and add 1/4 cup barbecue sauce to the chicken,stir until combined and set aside.

In a small bowl, mix the other 1/4 cup barbecue sauce with the ranch dressing.  Once your oven is preheated, remove your pizza stone and place your rolled out dough on top.  Top pizza dough with your barbecue sauce/ranch dressing mix leaving about an inch border around the edge.  Top with chicken and cheese.  Drizzle extra barbecue sauce and ranch dressing across the entire pizza.  Bake for 15-20 minutes until cheese is melted and the pizza dough crust is a golden brown.