Name: Grilled Chicken Quesadillas at the Team Family Tailgate
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 10
Ingredients: 6-7 chicken breasts, sliced in half lengthwise, cut into thin strips then diced into small pieces; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 medium onion, chopped; 1-2 jalapeno peppers, seeds removed, chopped fine; 1 teaspoon Mexican chili powder; 1 teaspoon cumin; pinch kosher salt, more to taste; pinch of cracked black pepper; 10 medium size soft flour tortillas; 2 cups of grated cheese

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Grilled Chicken Quesadillas at the Team Family Tailgate

Ole! This week is Mexican Fiesta Time at the Team Family Tailgate.

I am making Grilled Chicken Quesadillas served with Black Bean Salsa.

Last weekend was a whirlwind game season circuit covering mileage through half a dozen states over three-days with the team family posse. Through torrential rain to blazing sun, we were all there cheering on our team and afterward, lighting up our grills and setting up the long folding tables for the post celebratory meal.

We have grilled up hamburgers and hot dogs, pork tenderloins, chicken skewers with vegetables, and varieties of beef.

The non-grill section has been amazing with a broad variety of salads and one week, a sliced fresh ham topped with a pineapple brown sugar sauce served with pineapple and strawberry skewers.

The past few weeks have also provided excellent yet slightly different flavor variations of a national Tailgate favorite: Pulled Pork, courtesy of Moms from Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania.

The Pulled Pork variations got me thinking possibilities of our own little Team Family ‘Throwdown’. The mention of this idea sent the Dad’s into competition frenzy and the texting was insufferable. I need to work on suggesting a little practicality to the Dad’s however, as Grilled Duck a’ La Orange and Grilled Rabbit in a white wine sauce, though wonderful, might prove straining on the volumes needed, not to mention the price on feeding our weekly fifty plus crowd. So what should it be?

I have also been thinking of some type of large dish we could create together as a team like a Jambalaya or Paella, big pots of steaming mussels with crusty bread.

In Tailgating, there are many organizational components to think through in the travel portion, the equipment, and accessibility challenges, for example, where to plug in the crock-pots at a travel game.

Other questions include identifying types of pans and outdoor cooking equipment that will lend well to our ideas both at home and away games.

Last year we rigged up an outdoor fish cooker and while still using the provided bowl/pan directly on the heat source filled to the water line, I purchased a larger size wok in China Town, added some additional water to the bottom, then stacked it with bamboo steamers all filled with a variety of Chinese dumplings and we steamed them up. It took a little maneuvering but it was a big hit, nevertheless. I am certain we will come up with some more great ideas and look forward to sharing them with you as they transpire.

While we contemplate and discuss the endless fun possibilities for Team Family Tailgates ahead, for this week, I am looking forward to preparing something a little different in the fiesta spirit, Grilled Chicken Quesadillas served with Black Bean Salsa. Next week I will share the Black Bean Salsa recipe with you. I think the dish will be a great addition to add to our Team Family Tailgate repertoire. Go Team!!!