A delicious take on a Hard Rock recipe I saw but never ordered, and have been dreaming about ever since.

(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.

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We returned from Orlando around noon Sunday, and after a quick stop at the grocery store and the long, desolate drive down our long, desolate gravel road, I headed straight…for my kitchen. I’d been gone for exactly two weeks.

As God is my witness, I’m never leaving my house again!

Until next week.

We ate in restaurants (obviously) the entire time we were in Florida, and at Hard Rock Cafe twice. I ordered things suggested to me by the waitresses both times I was there (It’s a hobby I have. “Just bring me something yummy,” I say. Weird.) but wound up regretting not ever ordering a quesadilla they had on the menu—one containing grilled chicken, cheese, and (are you ready?) grilled pineapple.

I love grilled pineapple. But it had never occurred to me to stick some inside a quesadilla. Sometimes it takes me awhile.

So within an hour of returning home Sunday, I’d whipped one up. I had to get it out of my mind and move on with my life.





Here’s what you need: Flour Tortillas, Monterey Jack Cheese, Pineapple, Cilantro, Chicken Breasts, and Barbecue Sauce…and whatever spices you’d like to use to spice up the chicken.

Hack off the top of the pineapple…

And hack off the bottom.

Then you hack it down the middle.

Hack, hack, hack.

Then cut them into four wedges…

Then cut the four wedges to make eight wedges.

Then cut the hard triangular core off of each wedge.

They’re kinda tough and useless.

Next, cut off the hard, prickly skin.

Stick a skewer through the pineapple, lengthwise.

Set the skewers on a grill pan over medium to medium-high heat.

Move the pineapple around as it grills…

Remove them from the cutting board and cut into thin slices. Eat a few slices. Faint from bliss.

Grilled pineapple is…AWESOME. You can just dice it up at this point and turn it into a salsa if you’d like. Yum!

Stick the chicken breast in a large plastic bag and pound it flat with a mallet or a large, heavy can.

My mallet is in the bottom of our pond. Thank you for understanding.

Place the chicken on a plate and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Next, sprinkle on whatever spices you like—cumin, cayenne, taco seasoning…anything!

I used this stuff. It’s spicy, baby.

Next, throw the chicken onto the grill pan (or grill, if you’re into that sort of thing) and grill it up!

Pour on a little barbecue sauce if you’re into that sort of thing.

Remove the chicken from the grill pan…

Slice the chicken breast into thin slices and set aside.

Next, pre-grill the tortillas on a skillet. I just swirl some butter or margarine around for awhile, throw on the tortilla, and cook both sides for a minute or two. Do this until all eight tortillas are browned, and set them aside in a pile.

Next, grate up some Monterey Jack cheese. You can use the pre-grated stuff, but it’s coated in corn starch and will ruin your life. But go ahead and use it! It’ll be fine!

Finally, slice a jalapeno if you can HANDLE the spice.

I was feeling brave.

To assemble…

Start with a layer of grated cheese, then arrange strips of chicken all over the top.

Next, add slices of pineapple and sliced jalapeno.

Yum!

Finally, drizzle on a little more barbecue sauce.

This is hot barbecue sauce, by the way.

You don’t have to add the barbecue sauce at the end.

Here’s one without the sauce.

When they’re all assembled, throw them on a griddle…

Top each half with another tortilla, and grill until golden and the cheese is melted.

Cut the quesadillas into six wedges…

And serve with sour cream, pico de gallo, and lots of cilantro.

Scrumptious!

Here’s the handy dandy printable. (Note, if you missed the Le Creuset wieners, here’s the post.)