Recipe: BLT Quesadillas

recipelink.com Chat Room Recipe Swap - 2001-08-22
From: Recipelink

BLT Quesadillas
Source: St. Louis Post Dispatch; April, 1998; Betty Rosbottom
Yield: 4 Servings

5 strips bacon
2/3 cup chopped onions
1 cup (4-5 plum tomatoes) diced plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
3/8 tsp red pepper flakes
salt
4 (8-inch) flour tortillas
4-5 oz creamy goat cheese
1 small bunch watercress or arugula, stemmed, cleaned, and dried
olive oil for grilling or sauteing

Fry bacon in medium heavy skillet over medium heavy skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels, then crumble. Pour off and discard all but 1 1/2 teaspoons bacon drippings. Place pan over medium heat. Add onions; saute, stirring, until softened, 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes, vinegar and red pepper flakes; cook and stir only 30 seconds more. Do not over cook tomatoes. Remove from heat. Season generously with salt.

Place tortillas on work surface. Spread each with 2 tablespoons goat cheese. Divide crumbled bacon and sprinkle over half of each tortilla. Divide and spread tomato mixture over bacon. Place 3-4 watercress sprigs or 2-3 arugula leaves over tomatoes on each tortilla. Fold tortillas in half. (Quesadillas can be assembled 30 minutes ahead and held at cool room temperature. Keep loosely covered with plastic wrap.)

When ready to cook quesadillas, heat stove-top grill pan or medium-large skillet over medium-high heat; brush lightly with olive oil. When oil is hot, add enough quesadillas to fit comfortably in single layer. Grill or saute until lightly browned, about 2 minutes per side. Remove and continue, adding more oil if needed, until all quesadillas are cooked.

To serve, slice quesadillas in half and mound in napkin-lined shallow basket. Serve warm.