Yesterday I declined to participate in Blue Plate Mondays because I really didn’t think the meal was worthy enough. I tried a version of Swedish meatballs that was a hybrid of recipes from The Joy of Cooking and the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook. Classics both. My other sacred text of cuisine is the America’s Test Kitchen Cookbook.

Anyway, the meatballs … they were OK. In my mind Swedish meatballs are lovely little carnivorous treats that are always available at any decent potluck. Also, in my mind they are slightly sweet. Not exactly glazed, but almost. Mine were not. And I let the noodles cook too long. They had the smooshy texture of homemade noodles, but they just weren’t quite what I wanted. So I’m not going to post that recipe. (However if anyone has a tasty slightly sweet meatball recipe, I’d love to have it.)

So we will observe Blue Plate Tuesday instead. And I hope that it still counts because I am dead set on winning Kelly’s apron.

Tuesday’s Blue Plate Special was quesadillas. This is a house favorite. We have it probably every couple weeks. I highly recommend this dinner on a weeknight because it’s fast, and everyone can top it the way they want.

Let’s begin.

Start with a couple of good sized chicken breasts, cooked any way you like. When I have time, I bake them in the oven. In the past I have also boiled them (and used the stock later) or just cooked them in a pan on the stove. Microwaving is a last resort. The cooking is always the longest part of the process, so when possible cook the chicken in advance.

After cooking the chicken, shred it. You can also just cut it into small pieces, but the shredding makes the chicken fit better in the tortillas. Once it’s shredded, put it back in the pan with some water or chicken broth. Add some garlic powder, onion powder, cumin and chili powder.

Use large flour tortillas, and lightly (very lightly!) spread vegetable oil one side of the tortilla. The cookbook says to spray it, but as I don’t have a spray bottle, I just use my fingers. Lay the oiled side down on a nonstick baking sheet and put chicken on one half, leaving a half inch clear around the edge. Cover the chicken with colby-jack cheese. Use a small amount of vegetable oil around the perimeter of the chicken and fold the other half of the tortilla over the filling. Press down to seal the edge as well as possible, and then lightly (very lightly!) spread oil on the exterior of the tortilla.

Bake quesadillas in the oven at 475 for 10 or 15 minutes, until lightly browned. The will be crispy. And hot. So be careful when you take them off the baking sheet.

We like to top them with sour cream, guacamole, and salsa. Refried beans are a lovely side.

Next week, I’ll post a recipe for General Tso’s Chicken. Which Lucas likes to call General Beth’s Chicken. Which amuses me.