Chile, Cheese and Bacon Quesadillas

There is nothing not to love about this recipe. I mean, these are quesadillas with bacon in them. This is pretty much the perfect meal for me, combining my love of Mexican food with my love of all things pork-related (except the swine flu. Don't love that. Hoping that stays FAR AWAY from our house).

Anyway, if you're looking for something different to make on a weeknight but you still want a meal that's quick and easy to prepare, this is the perfect solution. With only four ingredients in my version, these quesadillas took no time at all, and they were unbelievably tasty. The original recipe calls for black olives, which I omitted because Joe doesn't like them and I'm pretty indifferent to them, and I didn't really miss them. You could of course add anything you like to the quesadillas: chopped red onion, avocado, pico de gallo, a little bit of cilantro, etc. I served ours with salsa and sour cream and a side of Mexican sour cream rice, and this was a delicious dinner that we all enjoyed. I'll be making these again, for sure.

Chile, Cheese and Bacon Quesadillas
source: adapted from Betty Crocker

8 slices bacon
6 8-inch flour tortillas
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 4.5-ounce can chopped green chiles, undrained

1. Cut bacon into bite-sized pieces. In a skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until crispy; set aside on a paper towel to drain.

2. Sprinkle 3 tortillas with cheese. Top each with bacon, chiles, more cheese and remaining tortillas; press lightly.

3. Place 1 quesadilla at a time on a closed-contact grill. Close grill. Grill 2 to 4 minutes or until light golden brown and cheese is melted. Cut each quesadilla into 4 wedges.