Chicken Quesadillas

The basics:

chopped, cooked chicken or turkey
grated cheddar or montery jack cheese
flour tortillas
cooking spray
large, heavy skillet

Optional ingredients:

green chilies
diced green pepper
diced red onion
sliced green onions
cooked black, pinto, or red beans
sliced olives
cubed avocado
canned jalapeno slices
chopped tomato
hot sauce

Optional toppings:

sour cream
salsa
guacamole
chopped cilantro

To assemble quesadillas:

Lay a tortilla on a clean countertop or plate and spread half of it with about 1/4 cup of chopped chicken, depending on the size of your tortilla. Sprinkle on some of the optional toppings, and then evenly top this with a generous amount of grated cheese. Add a few drips of hot sauce if you like spicy food. Carefully fold the tortilla over and press gently. Repeat if you are making two quesadillas.

Heat a large cast iron pan or heavy skillet over medium heat and spray pan with cooking spray. Place quesadillas in pan like the two halves of a circle. Spray the tops with cooking spray and gently press them down for a minute or so with your hand or a metal spatula. Take a peek on the bottom of the quesadilla with the spatula. (Turn the heat to medium low if it's browning too quickly and the cheese hasn't melted yet.) When it is nicely browned, carefully flip and cook the other side, pressing down gently so the cheese melts and the fillings heat up.

Remove to a cutting board, cut into wedges, and serve immediately with toppings of your choice.