Grilled Chicken Quesadillas

The hot, humid weather that has plagued the rest of the country this summer has finally hit southern California. Not to rub it in, but we're usually pretty steady around 75°F for most of the summer months, with about 50% or less humidity. The last two weeks, though, we've seen temps in the 90s and higher, with humidity getting up to 70-80%.

Needless to say, those aren't exactly the conditions you want to be baking or roasting up a storm in, so we've been having a lot of grilled meals around here. Most times I go pretty simple - grilled chicken or pork with a side salad, turkey burgers, shrimp kabobs, etc. But I had a hankering for Mexican food (and 2 avocados that needed to be made into guacamole stat!), so I decided to try making quesadillas on the grill. Turns out - it's super easy, and super delicious!

Grilled Chicken Quesadillas
(Makes 4 6" quesadillas)

Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
salt & pepper
1 green pepper
1 jalapeno pepper, diced
8 6" corn tortillas
2-3 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
1.5 c. shredded cheese (I used a "Mexican" blend)
olive oil spray (if you don't have an oil sprayer yet, I highly recommend getting one! you'll never need "non-stick spray in a can" again!)

sour cream, salsa and/or guacamole for dipping, if desired

Method:
Preheat grill to medium heat (about 350-400°F). Spray chicken breasts lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle with garlic powder, onion powder, salt & pepper. Place on grill for about 10 minutes. Turn, then grill another 10 minutes or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
Remove chicken from grill and let rest 10-15 minutes.
While the chicken is resting, cut your green pepper in half and place it skin-side down on the hot grill. Grill 5-10 minutes until it starts to char and soften. Remove and let cool.
Once chicken and green pepper are cool enough to touch, cut them into thin strips. Assemble a tray with cut chicken, green pepper, diced jalapenos, chopped cilantro and shredded cheese.
Lay out 8 tortillas on a baking sheet. Generously spray 1 side of each tortillas with olive oil.
Bring everything out to the grill. Reduce the heat slightly - to about 300°F.
Carefully place all 8 tortillas on the grill with the oiled side facing down (on the grill plates). Let cook about 3-4 minutes until the bottoms start to brown.
Then, evenly distribute chicken, green pepper, jalapeno and cilantro across 4 (ONLY 4!) of the tortillas. Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the top. Place the remaining 4 tortillas on top of the "loaded" ones and press down to flatten. Close the grill cover and cook another 3-4 minutes until cheese is melted and tortillas have nice brown grill marks on both sides.
Cool 2-3 minutes before cutting & serving.
Enjoy!